Mapping Application with Interactive Compass

ABSTRACT

Some embodiments provide a mapping application that includes a novel compass control that can be used to navigate a presentation of a map. The mapping application displays one of a two-dimensional (2D) presentation of the map and a three-dimensional (3D) presentation of the map at a given time. The compass control may be used to rotate a view of the map based on a first type of input to the compass control and transition between the 2D presentation and the 3D presentation based on a second type of input to the compass control. In addition to causing the application to perform the various operations, the compass control in some embodiments serves as (1) an indicator as to whether the mapping application is currently in a 2D mode or a 3D mode and (2) an indicator that continuously points to north.

CLAIM OF BENEFIT TO PRIOR APPLICATIONS

This is a continuation of U.S. Non-Provisional application Ser. No.14/078,505, filed Nov. 12, 2013, which claims benefit to U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 61/832,836, filed Jun. 8, 2013, whichare incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

With proliferation of computing devices such as smartphones, tablets,laptops, and desktops, users are enjoying numerous applications ofnumerous kinds that can be run on their devices. One popular type ofsuch application is mapping applications that allow user to browse maps.Despite their popularity, these mapping applications have shortcomingswith their user interfaces and features that can cause inconvenience tothe users. For example, users may be limited in the variety of toolsthey may use to navigate a map. Furthermore, the existing tools may belimited in the variety of operations that they may be used to perform.

BRIEF SUMMARY

Some embodiments of the invention provide a mapping application thatincludes several novel on screen controls. In some embodiments, thesenovel controls include one or more of a dynamic scale that can be usedto perform different zoom operations and an interactive compass controlfor adjusting a 2D/3D presentation of a map being displayed by themapping application. The mapping application may be executed both on adevice that has a touch-sensitive screen (e.g., smartphone, tablet) or adevice that receives user input through various other mechanisms (e.g.,a desktop, laptop, etc.). For example, the mapping application can becontrolled using a variety of input devices, including any combinationof a trackpack, keypad, and mouse.

In some embodiments, the dynamic scale serves as a distance measurementindicator for a corresponding zoom level of the map. The dynamic scaleof some embodiments displays several different values for differentattributes of the scale. These attributes include the range of the scale(e.g., 0 to 20 miles), the number of segments displayed on the scale(e.g., 2 segments corresponding to 0-10 and 10-20 miles vs. 3 segmentscorresponding to 0-10, 10-20 and 20-30 miles), and the size of the scale(adjustable size that varies between e.g., 0.5-2 cm on display screen).The mapping application of some embodiments continuously computes thevalues for the several attributes of the dynamic scale for differentzoom levels. Furthermore, in some embodiments a user may select and dragthe scale in different directions in order to change to different zoomlevels of the map.

In some embodiments, the mapping application provides a “smart-aim” zoomfeature that guides a user during a zoom to a location on the map. Inparticular, the smart-aim zoom will first determine whether a particularlocation at which a user would like to zoom is near a particular pointof interest on the map. If the user's selected location is near a pointof interest on the map, the mapping application of some embodimentszooms to the point of interest on the map. If the location is not near asingle point of interest, but near a cloud of points of interest, themapping application of some embodiments zooms to the center of the cloudof points of interest on the map. Otherwise the zoom is directed towardsthe user's selected location. In some embodiments, the smart-aim zoomfeature treats points of interest on the map the same as “pins” on themap.

In some embodiments, the mapping application also provides a “locked”zoom feature that allows a user to focus a zoom on a particular locationof the map without having to constantly re-center the map region to zoomin on the location. In particular, the locked zoom feature locks aparticular location to use as a “center” of a zoom when it firstreceives an initial input to zoom the map. The subsequent zooms are thenlocked towards this particular location even though the locationindicator may be moved to a different area of the map. For example, auser may apply a series of two-finger spreading gestures on a trackpaddevice to zoom-in on a particular location on the map. While applyingthese series of gestures on the trackpad, the user may accidentallycause the location indicator to move to a different location of the mapthan the original location at which the user intended to direct thezoom. However, the locked zoom feature of the mapping applicationprevents the application from zooming to the moved location indicatorlocation, since the application locked the center of the zoom at theoriginal location at which the user first initiated the zoom on the map.Thus the user may continue to apply the gestures to zoom towards thisoriginal intended location without having to constantly re-center themap on the original location when the location indicator is accidentlymoved to a different location on the map.

In some embodiments the mapping application also provides an interactivecompass control that can be used to apply several different operationsin the mapping application. For example, different user input on thecompass control can cause the mapping application to perform variousdifferent operations, including rotating the map in differentdirections, transitioning the map presentation between a 2D and 3D mode,and various other operations based on the particular type of user input.In particular, when the compass is dragged in a first verticaldirection, the mapping application of some embodiments transitions froma 2D presentation to a 3D presentation (or vice-versa). When the compasscontrol is dragged in a second, horizontal direction, the mappingapplication of some embodiments rotates the map in conjunction with therotation of the compass. When the compass control receives a firstselection input (e.g., a mouse click on the compass control), both thecompass and corresponding map are rotated until they reach a north-uporientation. When the compass receives a second subsequent selectioninput (e.g., a second mouse click), the mapping application toggles thepresentation of the map between a 2D and 3D mode. In addition to causingthe application to perform the various operations described above, thecompass control in some embodiments serves as (1) an indicator as towhether the mapping application is currently in a 2D mode or a 3D modeand (2) an indicator that continuously points to north (e.g., thedirection to the North Pole).

The preceding Summary is intended to serve as a brief introduction tosome embodiments of the invention. It is not meant to be an introductionor overview of all inventive subject matter disclosed in this document.The Detailed Description that follows and the Drawings that are referredto in the Detailed Description will further describe the embodimentsdescribed in the Summary as well as other embodiments. Accordingly, tounderstand all the embodiments described by this document, a full reviewof the Summary, Detailed Description and the Drawings is needed.Moreover, the claimed subject matters are not to be limited by theillustrative details in the Summary, Detailed Description and theDrawings, but rather are to be defined by the appended claims, becausethe claimed subject matters can be embodied in other specific formswithout departing from the spirit of the subject matters.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The novel features of the invention are set forth in the appendedclaims. However, for purposes of explanation, several embodiments of theinvention are set forth in the following figures.

FIG. 1 conceptually illustrates a graphical user interface of a mappingapplication of some embodiments that provides novel on screen controls,including a novel dynamic scale and a novel compass control.

FIG. 2 conceptually illustrates the dynamic scale of the mappingapplication operating on a device with a touch-screen user interface.

FIG. 3 conceptually illustrates the dynamic scale of the mappingapplication operating on a device with a cursor-controlled userinterface.

FIG. 4 conceptually illustrates an animation for adding a segment to thescale of some embodiments.

FIG. 5 conceptually illustrates an animation for removing a segment fora scale of some embodiments.

FIG. 6 conceptually illustrates the user menu for displaying the scaleof some embodiments.

FIG. 7 conceptually illustrates a data structure for a scale with thevarious attributes of the scale.

FIG. 8 conceptually illustrates a process of some embodiments forcomputing the attributes of the dynamic scale on the mappingapplication.

FIG. 9 conceptually illustrates a process for computing desirablesegment unit values for the scale based on the particular zoom level.

FIG. 10 conceptually illustrates changing to different zoom levels onthe map using different mechanisms, including a location indicator, atrackpad device, and a mouse with a scrollable wheel.

FIG. 11 conceptually illustrates using the dynamic scale as a tool forchanging the zoom level of the map.

FIG. 12 conceptually illustrates changing the zoom levels of the map byselecting within a buffer region surrounding the scale.

FIG. 13 illustrates a touch input on the scale to zoom to differentlevels by a mapping application of a touch-sensitive device of someembodiments.

FIG. 14 conceptually illustrates the smart-aim zoom feature detecting aselection at a particular location within a first threshold of a pin andzooming towards the particular pin.

FIG. 15 conceptually illustrates the smart-aim zoom feature receiving aselection at a particular location with a first threshold of a point ofinterest and zooming towards the particular point of interest.

FIG. 16 conceptually illustrates the smart-aim zoom feature detecting aselection near a cloud of several pins and centering a zoom on thiscloud of pins.

FIG. 17 conceptually illustrates the smart-aim zoom feature zoomingdirectly to a user's selection in the situation where a user's selectionis not near a single pin or a cloud of pins.

FIG. 18 conceptually illustrates a process of some embodiments forimplementing a smart-aim zoom.

FIG. 19 conceptually illustrates a locked zoom feature of the mappingapplication.

FIG. 20 conceptually illustrates a compass control as an indicator fordetermining whether the mapping application is in a 2D or 3D view of themap.

FIG. 21 conceptually illustrates the compass control changing size toindicate that it is selectable when a user's location indicator ispositioned over the compass.

FIG. 22 conceptually illustrates a map transitioning from a 2D to 3Dmode based on a user dragging the compass control in a verticaldirection.

FIG. 23 conceptually illustrates the map transitioning from a 3D to 2Dmode based on a user dragging the compass control in a verticaldirection downwards.

FIG. 24 conceptually illustrates using the compass control to rotate themap.

FIG. 25 conceptually illustrates a user interacting with the compasscontrol to both transition between a 2D and 3D mode and to rotate to adesired view of a region of a map.

FIG. 26 conceptually illustrates using the compass control to restore anorth-up orientation and to transition into a 3D mode.

FIG. 27 conceptually illustrates using the compass control to restore anorth-up orientation and to transition from a 3D mode to a 2D mode.

FIG. 28 conceptually illustrates a mechanism for changing the display ofthe map using a combination of a keypad and the location indicator.

FIG. 29 conceptually illustrates a state diagram that describesdifferent states and transitions between these states for the compasscontrol of the mapping application of some embodiments.

FIG. 30 conceptually illustrates an architecture of a mobile computingdevice with which some embodiments are implemented.

FIG. 31 conceptually illustrates an electronic system with which someembodiments of the invention are implemented.

FIG. 32 illustrates a map service operating environment, according tosome embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following detailed description of the invention, numerousdetails, examples, and embodiments of the invention are set forth anddescribed. However, it will be clear and apparent to one skilled in theart that the invention is not limited to the embodiments set forth andthat the invention may be practiced without some of the specific detailsand examples discussed.

Some embodiments of the invention provide a mapping application thatprovides several novel on screen controls. In some embodiments, thesenovel controls include one or more of a dynamic scale that can be usedto perform different zoom operations and an interactive compass controlfor adjusting a 2D/3D presentation of a map displayed by the mappingapplication. FIG. 1 illustrates a graphical user interface of a mappingapplication in some embodiments that includes the novel on screencontrols. The example illustrated in this figure is provided in terms offour stages 105-120 of interactions with the mapping application usingthe novel on screen controls.

Stage 105 of this figure illustrates the user interface (UI) of themapping application. The mapping application provides two novelselectable UI items, which are a selectable dynamic scale 130 and aselectable compass control 140. The dynamic scale 130 serves as both adistance measurement indicator for a corresponding zoom level of the mapand a tool for zooming to different zoom levels of the map.

The compass control 140 provides a tool for navigating the map andtransitioning between a 2D and 3D presentation of the map. Furthermore,the compass control 140 serves as an indicator as to 1) the directionnorth on the map and 2) whether the map is in a 2D or 3D mode. In someembodiments, this compass control 140 is in the shape of two isoscelestriangles that abut at their bases, with one of the triangles pointingnorth (in a direction away from the abutting bases) and having a color(e.g., orange) that differentiates it from the other triangle. Asfurther described below, the compass control 140 can also be used torestore a north-up orientation after the user has rotated a 2D or 3Dview of the map.

Stage 105 illustrates the mapping application displaying a region of amap. The map region includes 3 buildings and various intersecting roads.The user's current location 125 is also indicated on the map. Thedynamic scale 130 displays several different attributes within the scaleto provide the user with a distance measurement tool, including a rangeof the scale, the size of the scale as displayed on the screen of thedevice, the number of segments on the scale, and the value of eachsegment. In this example, the scale 130 is illustrated with each segmenthaving an alternating color pattern (i.e., black/white/black). In someembodiments, the scale is a solid line with tick marks used toillustrate the different segments of the line. As illustrated, scale 130currently has a range of 0-30 miles, includes 3 segments that correspondto 0-10, 10-20 and 20-30 mile segments, and has a particular size on themap (e.g., between 0.5 and 2 cm on the screen). For this particular zoomlevel, the mapping application has computed these particular values foreach of the different attributes of the scale 130. Furthermore, thescale 130 may adjust any one of these attributes, including the range,the number of segments to display, the size of each segment, the size ofthe scale, and the segment unit value of the segment (e.g., feet, miles,etc. for the standard system or meters, kilometers, etc. for metricsystem) as needed based on the particular zoom level of the map.

In some embodiments, the scale 130 can also be used as a UI tool forchanging the zoom level of the map being displayed by the mappingapplication. In particular, a user may perform a dragging operation onthe scale 130 in different directions to either zoom in or zoom out ofthe map. Stage 105 illustrates the user performing a drag operation onthe scale 130 using a location indicator 150 (e.g., cursor) to selectand drag the scale 130. In particular, the user is selecting anddragging the scale 130 to the right in order to increase the size of thescale. By increasing the size of the scale, the user is also zooming inon the region of the map being displayed by the mapping application.Likewise, if a user decreases the size of the scale 130 (e.g., bydragging the scale to the left), the mapping application will zoom outto a lower zoom level of the map.

Stage 110 illustrates that the mapping application has zoomed in on themap and is now displaying a larger region of the map as a result of theuser having dragged the scale in stage 105. The roads on the map nowappear wider than in stage 105. Likewise, the mapping application hasadjusted the various attributes being displayed by the scale 130 forthis particular zoom level. In particular, the scale 130 now has a rangebetween 0-15 miles and the size of the scale 130 as displayed on thescreen of the device has increased in order to accurately provide adistance measurement for the new zoom level. However, the mappingapplication has kept the number of segments displayed on the scale at 3corresponding to 0-5, 5-10 and 10-15 from the previous stage 105, witheach segment having a segment unit value of 5 miles. Thus the mappingapplication determined, based on its computations for the differentattribute values of the scale, that it needed to adjust the size of thescale and the segment unit value of each segment of the scale betweenstage 105 and 110. Stages 105-110 illustrate the changing attributes ofthe dynamic scale 130 for different zoom levels and using the dynamicscale to zoom to the different zoom level.

In some embodiments, the mapping application provides a “smart-aim” zoomfeature that guides a user when zooming on a location on the map. Inparticular, the smart-aim zoom will first determine whether a particularlocation at which a user would like to zoom is near a particular pointof interest on the map. If the user's selected location is near a pointof interest on the map, the mapping application zooms to the point ofinterest on the map. If the location is not near a single point ofinterest, but near a cloud of points of interest, the mappingapplication zooms to the center of the cloud of points of interest onthe map. Otherwise the zoom is directed towards the user's selectedlocation.

A user may also use the compass control 140 to perform 2D/3D perspectiveview adjustments. The user may drag the compass control 140 in differentdirections in order to apply several different operations in the mappingapplication. In particular, when the compass control 140 is dragged in afirst vertical direction, the mapping application transitions from a 2Dpresentation to a 3D presentation (or vice-versa). When the compasscontrol 140 is dragged in a second, horizontal direction, the mappingapplication rotates the map in conjunction with the rotation of thecompass. When the compass control 140 receives a first selection input(e.g., a mouse click on the compass control), both the compass 140 andcorresponding map are rotated until they reach a north-up orientation.When the compass control 140 receives a second subsequent selectioninput (e.g., a second mouse click), the mapping application toggles thepresentation of the map between a 2D and 3D mode. In addition to causingthe application to perform the various operations described above, thecompass control 140 serves as (1) an indicator as to whether the mappingapplication is currently in a 2D mode or a 3D mode and (2) an indicatorthat continuously points to north (e.g., the direction to the NorthPole).

Stage 115 illustrates that the compass control 140 is currentlydisplayed as a two-dimensional icon to indicate that the mappingapplication is in a 2D mode. Furthermore, stage 115 illustrates themapping application receiving a select and drag of the compass control140 in a vertical direction. This causes the map view to begin totransition from the current 2D mode to a 3D mode. Stage 120 illustratesthe mapping application displaying the region of the map in a 3D mode.The building and roads are now illustrated in 3D. The compass control140 has also changed appearance in order to indicate that the mappingapplication is currently in a 3D mode. In particular, the compasscontrol 140 is also displayed in 3D, and has been tilted at an anglethat corresponds to the current view of the map. Thus the compasscontrol 140 serves as an on screen control tool to perform variousadjustments to the 2D/3D viewing mode of the map. Furthermore, thecompass control also serves as an indicator of the current viewing modeof the map. In some embodiments, when the mapping application displaysthe map in 3D, the scale 130 disappears from the display because in sucha perspective view, different portions of the map will have differentscales. In other embodiments, as shown, the mapping applicationcontinues displaying the scale unless the difference in scale betweenthe top and bottom of the map reaches a certain threshold.

The above-described features as well as some other features of themapping application of some embodiments are further described below. Inthe description above and below, many of the features are described aspart of a mapping application that provides a novel dynamic scale andinteractive compass control. However, one of ordinary skill will realizethat the novel operations performed by these controls are performed inother embodiments by applications that do not perform all of theseoperations, or perform other operations in addition to these operations.

Several more detailed embodiments of the invention are described in thesections below. Section I provides a conceptual description of thedynamic scale feature of the mapping application of some embodiments.Next, Section II conceptually describes various zooming operations,including “smart-aim” and “locked” zoom features of the mappingapplication of some embodiments. Section III describes the interactivecompass control for controlling the display of the map region on themapping application. Section IV provides a description of severalelectronic systems that implement some embodiments of the invention.Finally, Section V describes a map service environment in which themapping application of some embodiments operates.

I. Dynamic Scale

In some embodiments, the mapping application provides a dynamic scalethat serves as a distance measurement indicator for a corresponding zoomlevel of the map. The dynamic scale displays several different valuesfor different attributes of the scale. These attributes include therange of the scale (e.g., 0 to 20 miles), the segment unit value of thescale (e.g., feet, miles vs. meters, kilometers, etc.), the number ofsegments displayed in the scale (e.g., 2 segments corresponding to 0-10and 10-20 miles vs. 3 segments corresponding to 0-10, 10-20 and 20-30miles), and the size of the scale (adjustable size that varies betweene.g., 0.5-2 cm on display screen). The dynamic scale continuouslycomputes the values for the several attributes of the scale fordifferent zoom levels. Furthermore, a user may select and drag the scalein different directions and amounts in order to change to different zoomlevels of the map.

As the mapping application changes the map to different zoom levels, itcontinuously calculates and updates the values for each of thesedifferent attributes that are to be displayed on the scale. Inparticular, the mapping application computes certain desirable numbervalues for the range and segment unit values displayed on the scale. Forexample, the mapping application will compute desirable values for theattributes of the scale by applying, during the computation of the scalevalues, different rounding mechanisms. The computations are thus able toproduce certain desirable number values for different attributes of thescale. For example, the computations produce segment unit values such as100 feet, 200 feet, 500 feet, 1 mile, 2 miles, 5 miles, 10 miles, etc.In some embodiments, computations for the scale are able to obtain thedesirable values by using a combination of computing a base 10 logarithmof a particular number and then applying a subsequent rounding of thefractional portion of the number. FIGS. 6-10 provided further detailsregarding these computations for the attributes of the scale. FIGS. 2-3described below further illustrate the dynamic scale of the mappingapplication with the changing attributes for the different zoom levels.

The mapping application of some embodiments operates both on mobiledevices and standard desktop or laptop devices. Examples of such mobiledevices are smartphones (e.g., iPhone® sold by Apple Inc., phonesoperating the Android® operating system, phones operating the Windows 8®operating system, etc.). The mapping application of some embodimentsoperates as an application running on an operating system (e.g., OS X®,Windows®, Linux®, etc.) of a desktop or laptop device. FIG. 2illustrates the dynamic scale of the mapping application operating on adevice with a touch-screen user interface (e.g., an iPhone®) and FIG. 3illustrates the dynamic scale of the mapping application operating on adevice with a cursor-controlled user interface (e.g., an applicationrunning on the OS X® operating system of a desktop or laptop computer).

FIG. 2 illustrates the dynamic scale of the mapping applicationoperating on a mobile device with a touch-screen interface (e.g.,iPhone®). More specifically the example of this figures illustrates interms of six operations stages 205-230 a user's interaction with themapping application and how the interactions affect the dynamic scale.Before describing the different stages in this example, the variouscomponents of the mapping application user interface (UI) will first bedescribed.

Stage 205 illustrates the mapping application's UI that in someembodiments displays (1) a map of the current location 290 of thedevice, and (2) several UI controls arranged in both a top bar 240 andas floating controls. As shown in stage 205 of FIG. 1, the floatingcontrols include a position control 245, a 3D control 250, and aninformation control 255, while the top bar 240 includes a directioncontrol 260, a search field 265, and a bookmark control 270.

The direction control 260 opens a page through which a user can requesta route to be identified between a starting location and an endinglocation. This control provides a mechanism through which the mappingapplication can be directed to identify and display a route between twolocations.

In some embodiments, a user can initiate a search by tapping on thesearch field 265. This directs the application to present an animationthat (1) presents an on-screen keyboard and (2) opens a search tablefull of recent search queries and other types of information. The usermay then enter a search query into the search field. The results of thesearch query are presented as “pins” on the map. Each pin is dropped onthe map at a particular location that corresponds to the pin.

The bookmark control 270 (e.g., button) allows location and routes to bebookmarked by the application. The position control 245 allows thecurrent position of the device to be specifically noted on the map. Insome embodiments, once this position control is selected, theapplication maintains the current position of the device in the centerof the map as the device is moving in some embodiments. In someembodiments, the position control can also identify the direction towhich the device currently points. The mapping application of someembodiments identifies the location of the device using the coordinates(e.g., longitudinal, altitudinal, and latitudinal coordinates) in theGPS signal that the device receives at the location of the device.Alternatively or conjunctively, the mapping application uses othermethods (e.g., cell tower triangulation) to compute the currentlocation.

Lastly, the 3D control 250 is a control for viewing the map in threedimensions (3D). The mapping application provides the 3D control 250 asa quick mechanism of getting into and out of 3D. This control alsoserves as (1) an indicator that the current view is a 3D view (e.g., byhighlighting the control), and (2) an indicator that a 3D perspective isavailable for a given map view (e.g., a map view that is zoomed outmight not have a 3D view available). Having described the variouscontrols and UI tools of the mapping application UI, an exampleoperation of the mapping application, including the changes of thedynamic scale for different zoom levels will now be described withreference to the six stages 205-230 illustrated in FIG. 2.

Stage 205 illustrates the mapping application displaying a region of amap and the various UI controls described above. As shown, the mappingapplication is not currently displaying a scale on the map. In someembodiments, the mapping application initially launches withoutdisplaying the scale. Some embodiments do not display the scale on themap until the user begins a zoom operation of the map or provides otherinput to cause the scale to appear. Other embodiments, however, alwaysdisplay the scale overlaid on the map.

Stage 210 illustrates the mapping application receiving gestural inputthrough a multi-touch interface of the device. This interface allows auser to provide touch and gestural inputs through the touch-sensitivescreen of the device in order to interact with the mapping application.As illustrated in stage 210, the user is applying a two-finger pinchinggesture on the screen of the device which has the effect of zooming outon the map. Different embodiments provide different gestural inputs toadjust the map view.

As described, in some embodiments, the gestural input is a two-fingerpinching or spreading that will cause the mapping application to changeto a different zoom level. Furthermore, some embodiments provide othergestural inputs (e.g., a finger drag or swipe operation) that alsochange the region of the map being displayed in different manners. Inorder to illustrate the dynamics of the changing scale 280 for differentzoom levels, each stage 210-225 of FIG. 2 illustrates the usercontinuing to apply a two-finger pinch gesture in order to zoom out ofthe map region.

Stage 210 also illustrates that the mapping application overlays a scale280 on the upper left corner of the map. In some embodiments, the scale280 may appear after a user initiates a zoom operation (e.g., throughgestural input) to a different level of the map. In other embodiments,the scale 280 may appear on the map when the mapping application isinitially launched by the operating system of the device. In someembodiments, the mapping application only displays the scale while auser performs a zoom operation on the map and removes the scale athreshold time period after the user finishes the zoom operation. Insome embodiments, the mapping application animates both the display andremoval of the scale. In particular, when a user performs a gesture tozoom the map, the scale fades in to the map display area. After a userhas finished performing the zooming gesture, the mapping applicationfades the scale out of the map display area. Furthermore, in someembodiments, the scale may appear for a certain threshold time periodafter a user navigates to a different region of the map.

As illustrated, the scale 280 includes various different attributes,including a range of the scale, the size of the scale as displayed onthe screen of the device, the number of segments in the scale, and asegment unit value of each segment. As illustrated, scale 280 currentlyhas a range of 0-15 miles, includes 3 segments with a segment unit valueof 5 miles that correspond to 0-5, 5-10 and 10-15 mile segments, and hasa particular size on the map (e.g., between 0.5 and 2 cm on the screen).For this particular zoom level, the mapping application has computedthese particular values for each of the different attributes of thescale. Furthermore, the scale may modify any one of these attributes,including its range, the number of segments to display, the size of eachsegment, the size of the scale, and the unit value of the scale (e.g.,feet, miles, etc. for the standard system or meters, kilometers, etc.for metric system) as needed based on the particular zoom level of themap.

Stage 215 illustrates that the mapping application has zoomed furtherout and now displays a larger region of the map. The roads on the mapnow appear narrower than in stage 210. Likewise, the mapping applicationhas adjusted the scale 280 for this particular zoom level. Inparticular, the mapping application has retained the same values for therange (0-15 miles), number of segments (3), and segment unit value ofeach segment (5 mile) as the attributes of the scale 280. However, themapping application has reduced the size of the scale 280 as displayedon the screen of the device from the previous stage 210. Thus themapping application determined, based on its computations for thedifferent attribute values of the scale 280, to reduce the size of thescale between stage 210 and 215. The size is smaller because now themeasurements on the map have changed for the new zoom level. Inparticular, a 5-mile segment now corresponds to a smaller portion of themap. Stage 215 also illustrates that the user is again applying atwo-finger pinching gesture in order to zoom further out of the mapregion.

Stage 220 illustrates that the mapping application has zoomed out evenfurther than in stage 215 and is now displaying an even larger region ofthe map than stage 215. For this particular zoom level, the mappingapplication has computed numerous different values for the differentattributes of the scale 280. This stage 220 illustrates that the mappingapplication has dynamically changed several attributes of the scale 280,including the range, the number of segments, and the segment unit valueof each segment. In particular, the range of the scale 280 has changedfrom stage 215 and is now from 0 to 20 miles, and the number of segmentsbeing displayed has been reduced from three to two, with the segmentunit value now corresponding to a 10 mile distance on the map (e.g.,0-10 and 10-20 miles). In addition, the mapping application has adjustedthe scale 280 size in order to accurately provide the correct distancemeasurement on the map for the particular zoom level. In particular, a10-mile segment now corresponds to a larger portion of the map than theprevious 5-mile segment, although the 10-mile segment of coursecorresponds to a smaller portion of the map than 10 miles at theprevious zoom level. Stage 220 also illustrates the user continuing tozoom further out of the map region.

Stage 225 illustrates that the mapping application has zoomed outfurther from stage 220, and is now showing a larger region of the mapthan stage 220. The mapping application has reduced the size of thescale 280. In particular, a 10-mile segment now corresponds to a smallerportion of the map as compared to stage 220. However, the mappingapplication has kept the same range (0-20), number of segments (2), andsegment unit values (10 miles) for the scale 280 as stage 220. Stage 225illustrates the user is again continuing to zoom out of the map region.

Stage 230 illustrates that the mapping application has zoomed outfurther from stage 225. The scale 280 has now changed for thisparticular zoom level. In particular, mapping application has added asegment to the scale 280 so that it now displays three segments, ratherthan two segments, which correspond to 0-10, 10-20 and 20-30 miles. Thusthe range of the scale 280 is now from 0-30 miles rather than 0-20miles. Furthermore the total size of the scale 280 has increased (due tothe addition of an additional segment), although the size of anindividual segment decreased slightly from stage 225.

Stage 230 illustrates that the mapping application continues displayingthe scale 280 although the user is no longer providing a gestural inputto zoom the map. In some embodiments, after a certain threshold timeperiod has expired from the time at which the user last performed a zoomgesture, the mapping application removes the scale 280 from the map (notillustrated).

In order to determine the attributes of the scale 280, in someembodiments, the mapping application computes a segment unit value(e.g., 1 mile, 5 miles, 10 miles, etc.) and segment display length(e.g., X centimeters on the screen) of a single segment and based on thesegment unit value and segment display length of the segment, determineswhether to display two or three segments on the map. In certainsituations, the mapping application will only be able to display twosegments such that the total size of the scale does not grow to anundesirable size. In other situations, the mapping application will beable to display three segments and still keep the total size of thescale at a desirable length on the screen. As such, the mappingapplication continuously computes values for the different attributes ofthe scale for each particular zoom level. This may include modifying therange of values (e.g. 0-20 miles vs. 0-30 miles etc.), the segment unitvalue of a segment (e.g., 5 miles, 10 miles, etc.), the number ofsegments to display (e.g., two segments or three segments), and the sizeof the scale on the map (e.g., between 0.5-2 cm on the screen). FIGS.8-9 provide further details regarding computing the values for thedifferent attributes of the scale at the particular zoom level.

FIG. 3 illustrates in six stages 305-330 the dynamic scale of a mappingapplication that runs on an operating system (e.g., OS X®) of a desktopor laptop device. Before describing this example, the various componentsof the mapping application user interface (UI) of some embodiments forthe desktop or laptop device will be first described. Stage 305illustrates the mapping application's UI that in some embodimentsdisplays (1) a map of the current location 390 of the device, and (2)several UI controls arranged both in a top bar 340 and as floatingcontrols. As shown in stage 305 of FIG. 3, the floating controls includean interactive compass control 345 and zoom controls 350, while the topbar 340 includes a position indicator 355, a 3D control 360, anavigation control 365, a directions search field 370, a directioncontrol 375, a bookmark control 395, and a search field 385.

The position control 355 re-centers the position of the device on themap. In particular, once this position control 355 is selected, theapplication re-centers the map to the current position of the device insome embodiments. In some embodiments, upon receiving a second selectionof the position control 355, the device also identifies the direction towhich it currently points (e.g., using a compass, accelerometer,gyroscope, etc. in the device). The mapping application of someembodiments identifies the location of the device using the coordinates(e.g., longitudinal, altitudinal, and latitudinal coordinates) in theGPS signal that the device receives at the location of the device.

The 3D control 360 is a control for viewing map in three dimensions(3D). The mapping application provides the 3D control 360 as a quickmechanism of getting into and out of 3D. This control also serves as (1)an indicator that the current view is a 3D view, and (2) an indicatorthat a 3D perspective is available for a given map view (e.g., a mapview that is zoomed out might not have a 3D view available).

The navigation control 365 opens a page through which a user can requesta route to be identified between a starting location and an endinglocation. This control provides a mechanism through which the mappingapplication can be directed to identify and display a route between twolocations.

In some embodiments, a user can initiate a directions search byselecting the direction search field 370. The user may then enter asearch query into the search field 370. The results of the directionsearch query are then presented as routes on the map.

The direction control 375 opens a page through which a user can requesta route to be identified between a starting location and an endinglocation. This control provides a mechanism through which the mappingapplication can be directed to identify and display a route between twolocations. The bookmark control 395 (e.g., button) allows location androutes to be bookmarked by the application.

In some embodiments, a user can initiate a search by selecting thesearch field 385 and then entering a search query into the search field.The results of the search query are also presented as “pins” on the map.In addition to allowing a user to initiate a search, the presence of thesearch field 385 in the primary map view in some embodiments also allowsusers to see the query corresponding to search results (e.g., pins) onthe map and to remove those search results by clearing the query.

The zoom controls 350 are for zooming-in and zooming-out of the map. Theuser can select the “+” zoom control 350 to zoom in on the map and the“−” zoom control 350 to zoom out of the map. In some embodiments, theuser can select and hold the location indicator over the zoom control350 to continuously either zoom in or out of the map.

The interactive compass control 345 can be used for a variety ofdifferent operations. For example, the user can use the compass control345 to navigate to different regions on the map and to different viewingangles for viewing a particular region of the map. The user can also usethe compass control 345 to transition between a 2D and 3D mode.Furthermore, the compass control 345 is used as an indicator fordetermining (1) the direction north on the map and (2) whether the mapis in a 2D or a 3D mode. Further details regarding the operations of thecompass control 345 are described below in Section III (InteractiveCompass).

Having described the components of the mapping application UI, anexample of dynamic scale will now be described with reference to the sixstages 305-330 of FIG. 3. Stage 305 illustrates the mapping applicationdisplaying a region of a map and the various UI controls describedabove. The user has entered this stage after, for example, launching theapplication from an application launch screen of the device. Asillustrated, the mapping application is not currently displaying a scaleon the map. In some embodiments, the mapping application initiallylaunches without displaying the scale. Some embodiments do not displaythe scale on the map until the user begins a zoom operation of the mapor provides other input to cause the scale to appear. In someembodiments, the mapping application displays the scale when a userbegins a zoom operation of the map and removes the scale after a certaintime period after the user has finished the zoom operation.

Stage 310 illustrates the mapping application receiving a selection ofthe zoom control 350 to zoom out (“−”) of the map. The user selectscontrol 350 using a location indicator (e.g., cursor) controlled by amouse, trackpad, keypad, or other input device. For each of stages310-325, the user continues to select the zoom control 350 to zoom outof the map region in order to show the dynamics of the changing scale380 for different zoom levels.

Stage 310 also illustrates that the mapping application overlays a scale380 on the lower left corner of the map. The scale 380 includes variousvalues for the various attributes, including the range, the size of thescale, the number of segments in the scale, and the segment unit valueof each segment. In some embodiments, the scale 380 is displayed as asolid line with various tick marks placed along the scale to identifythe segments of the scale. As illustrated, the scale 380 currently has arange of 0-15 miles, includes 3 segments with a segment unit value of 5miles, corresponding to 0-5, 5-10 and 10-15 miles, and is currently aparticular size on the map. For this particular zoom level, the mappingapplication has computed these values for the attributes of the scale380.

Stage 315 illustrates a user selecting the zoom control 350 with alocation indicator which has caused the mapping application to zoom outand display a larger region of the map. The roads on the map are nownarrower than in stage 310 and the map shows a larger area. Likewise,the mapping application has adjusted the scale 380 for this particularzoom level. In particular, the mapping application has retained the samevalues for the range (0-15 miles), number of segments (3), and segmentunit value of each segment (5 miles) attributes of the scale 380.However, the mapping application has reduced the size of the scale 380from the previous stage 310 in order to correctly represent the scale onthe map for the particular zoom level. In particular, a 5-mile segmentnow corresponds to a smaller portion of the map. Stage 315 alsoillustrates that the user is again selecting the zoom control 350 inorder to zoom further out of the map region.

Stage 320 illustrates that the mapping application has zoomed furtherout from stage 315 and now displays an even larger region of the mapthan stage 315. For this particular zoom level, the mapping applicationhas computed numerous different values for the different attributes ofthe scale 380. In particular, the range of the scale 380 is now from 0to 20 miles, the number of segments being displayed has been reduced totwo, with each segment having a segment unit value of 10 miles (e.g.,0-10 and 10-20 miles). Furthermore, the size of the scale has alsochanged as needed to correctly represent the scale on the map for theparticular zoom level. This stage 320 illustrates that the mappingapplication has dynamically changed various values of the scale 380,including the range, the number of segments, and the segment unit valueof each segment. In addition, the mapping application has modified thesize of the scale 380 to accurately provide a correct distancemeasurement on the map. In particular, a 10-mile segment now correspondsto a slightly larger portion of the map than the previous 5-milesegment, although the 10-mile segment of course corresponds to a smallerportion of the map than 10 miles at the previous zoom level. Stage 320illustrates that the user is continuing to select the zoom control 350in order to zoom further out of the map region.

Stage 325 illustrates that the mapping application has zoomed furtherout from stage 320, and now displays a larger region of the map. Themapping application has reduced the size of the scale 380, but has keptthe same range (0-20), number of segments (2), and segment unit values(10 miles). Now, a 10-mile segment corresponds to a slightly smallerportion of the map than stage 320. Stage 325 also illustrates the usercontinuing to zoom out of the mapping application.

Stage 330 illustrates that the mapping application has zoomed outfurther than from stage 325. The scale 380 has also changed for theparticular zoom level. In particular, the mapping application has addeda segment to the scale 380 so that the scale now displays three segmentscorresponding to 0-10, 10-20 and 20-30 miles. Thus the range of thescale 380 has changed from 0-20 miles to 0-30 miles. Furthermore thesize of the scale 380 on the screen has increased (due to the additionof an additional segment) although the size of the individual segments(e.g., 10 mile segment) has decreased slightly from stage 325. In someembodiments, when the mapping application reaches a certain thresholdzoom level such that it has zoomed out of the map to the point thatdifferent portions of the map display area correspond to differentscales (e.g., at a level where different continents are visible and thescale is different for different latitudes on the map), the mappingapplication removes the scale from map. In some embodiments, when themapping application displays a region of the map from a particularviewing perspective, such as a 3D view, different scale values may berequired for different portions of the map display area and as such themapping application also removes the scale from the map.

As described above in FIGS. 2-3, the mapping application continuouslymodifies the various attributes of the scale for the different zoomlevels. In some embodiments, the mapping application displays adifferent scale depending on whether the map is in a satellite mode,standard mode, or a hybrid mode. Depending on the particular mode, themapping application adjusts various display settings of the scale,including the font, size, color, etc.

In some embodiments, in order to provide a smooth transition betweencertain adjustments being made to the scale, the mapping applicationanimates between the different scales that are to be displayed on themap. In particular, when adding or removing a segment to a scale, themapping application applies a cross-fading technique in order to smooththe transition between the different scales. FIG. 4 illustrates theanimation for adding a segment to the scale and FIG. 5 illustrates theanimation for removing a segment for a scale. Some embodiments performthese animations only for displaying the scale on a portable device suchas a smart phone or a tablet computer, while displaying a differentscale with different animations on laptop or desktop computers.

FIG. 4 illustrates in three stages 405-415 the mapping applicationanimating the adjustments to the scale in order to add a segment to thescale. In particular, in order to avoid jumping between a scale withonly two segments to a scale with three segments, the mappingapplication provides a cross-fading technique for modifying theattributes of the scale as the user changes to different zoom levels.For each stage 405-415, a corresponding oversize illustration of thescale 420 is provided to help illustrate the details of the animationthat provides the smooth transition.

Stage 405 illustrates the mapping application displaying a region of amap at a particular zoom level. The scale 420 (illustrated on the mapand as a standalone oversized scale) for this particular zoom levelincludes two segments, each with a segment unit value of 10 milescorresponding to 0-10 and 10-20 miles on the scale 420. The range of thescale is 0-30 miles, and the application displays the scale at aparticular size on the map. As illustrated, the “10” mile label iscurrently centered on the scale 420 at the midpoint and the “20” labelis aligned with the right edge of the scale 420. Stage 405 alsoillustrates the user zooming out of the map by applying a two-fingerpinch gesture on the screen of the device.

Stage 410 illustrates that the mapping application has zoomed outfurther from stage 405. The scale 420 has now changed for thisparticular zoom level. In particular, the mapping application begins tofade in the new third segment to the scale 420, which changes the rangeof the scale from 0-20 miles to 0-30 miles. In between these stages, themapping application will have shrunk the first two segments of scale 420without adding the third segment, until reaching a threshold zoom levelat which the application adds the third segment. The mapping applicationalso fades in a new “30” label aligned with the right edge of the thirdsegment (and thus the right edge of the scale), along with the “Mi”label to the right of the scale 420, while shifting the “20” label inorder to center it over the corresponding segment and fade out the “Mi”label that was previously displayed but is now located over the middleof the scale.

Stage 415 illustrates that the mapping application has completely fadedin the new segment of the scale 420. In particular, the scale 420 nowdisplays three segments, each with a segment unit value of 10 miles,which correspond to 0-10, 10-20 and 20-30 miles. The animation foradding a segment to the scale helps avoid displaying jumps betweenscales of different sizes when adding a segment or changing a segmentunit value (e.g., going from 5 mile segment unit values to a 10 milesegment unit value).

FIG. 5 illustrates the animation for removing a segment from the scale(which occurs, e.g., when the scale changes to a different segment unitvalue. In particular, in order to avoid displaying a jumping effect whentransitioning the display of a scale with three segments to a display ofa scale with two segments, the mapping application applies across-fading technique for modifying the attributes of the scale as theuser changes to different zoom levels. For each stage 505-515, acorresponding oversize illustration of the scale 520 is provided to helpillustrate the details of the animation that provides the smoothtransition.

Stage 505 illustrates the mapping application displaying a region of amap at a particular zoom level. The scale 520 (illustrated both on themap and as a standalone oversized scale) for this particular zoom levelincludes three segments, each with a segment unit value of 5 milescorresponding to 0-5 and 5-10 and 10-15 mile segments on the scale 520.The range of the scale is 0-15 miles, and the application displays thescale at a particular size on the map. As illustrated, both the “5” and“10” mile labels are currently centered over their corresponding segmentboundaries on the scale 520 and the “15” label is aligned with the rightedge of the scale 520. Stage 505 also illustrates the user zooming outof the map by applying a two-finger pinch gesture on the screen of thedevice.

Stage 510 illustrates that the mapping application has zoomed outfurther from stage 505. The scale 520 has now changed for thisparticular zoom level. In particular, mapping application begins to fadein and fade out the different segments of the scale 520 in order toproduce a scale with two segments. In between these stages, the mappingapplication will have shrunk the scale 520 until reaching a thresholdzoom level at which the application changes the segment unit values ofthe scale and thereby increases the overall size of the scale. Asillustrated in stage 510, the mapping application has changed thesegment unit value of the segments from 5 miles to 10 miles. As such,the mapping application fades out the third segment of the scale inorder to display only two segments. Furthermore, the mapping applicationfades out the “5” and “15” labels and fades in a new “20” label alignedwith the right edge of the second segment (and thus the right edge ofthe scale), along with the “Mi” label to the right of the scale 520.This changes the range of the scale from 0-15 miles to 0-20 miles, witheach segment having a segment unit value of 10 miles corresponding to0-10 and 10-20 miles. The mapping application also shifts the “10” labelin order to center it over the corresponding segment border.

Stage 515 illustrates that the mapping application has completely fadedin and out different segments of the scale in order to display themodified scale 520. In particular, the scale 520 now displays twosegments, each with a segment unit value of 10 miles (rather than 5 milesegments in stage 515), which correspond to 0-10 and 10-20 miles. Theanimation for removing a segment from the scale helps avoid a jumpingeffect that would otherwise occur when transitioning between scales ofdifferent sizes when changing a segment unit value (e.g., going from 5mile segment unit values to a 10 mile segment unit value).

FIGS. 2-3 also illustrate the dynamic scale appearing only after a userbegins interacting with the mapping application (through the two-fingergestural input or input from a location indicator). In some embodiments,a user may use a toolbar menu to display the scale or remove the scalefrom the map display area of the mapping application. FIG. 6 illustratesin four stages 605-620 a user manually selecting to display the scalethrough a menu user interface of the mapping application of someembodiments.

The first stage 605 illustrates the user selecting the view menu item625 while viewing an area on the map. As illustrated, the mapapplication does not display a scale on the map at this stage. Thesecond stage 610 illustrates that the view menu item 625 includes threesub-menu items, including zoom 630, scale 635, and full screen 640. Thezoom menu item 630 when selected displays a new sub-menu that allows auser to either zoom-in or zoom-out of the map. In some embodiments, theuser may open the view menu 625 and corresponding sub-menu items 630-640using various shortcut keys (e.g., “Alt”+“v” etc.). In some embodiments,the user may select the sub-menu items using a combination of hotkeysthat have been assigned to the particular operations (e.g., holding keys“command” and “+” or “command” and “−”). Selection of the scale 635 menuitem causes the application to display the scale or remove the scalefrom the display if it is being displayed. Selection of the full screen640 menu item causes the mapping application to display in a full screenmode. As illustrated in stage 610, the user is selecting sub-menu itemscale 635. The user may perform this selection operation by positioninga location indicator over the menu item and providing a selection input(e.g., a mouse click). In other inputs, the selection may be receivedthrough a tapping gesture on a trackpad or touch-screen user interfaceof the device.

The third stage 615 illustrates that the mapping application nowdisplays a scale 645. At this particular zoom level of the map, thescale 645 has a range of 15 miles with each segment of the scale havinga segment unit value corresponding to 5 miles on the map. The scale 645also displays three segments (e.g., 0-5, 5-10, and 10-15).

The fourth stage 620 illustrates the user selecting the zoom-out control650. As such, the size of the scale 645 has been reduced in order tocorrectly represent the scale on the map for the particular zoom level.In particular, a 5-mile segment of the scale 645 now corresponds to asmaller portion of the map. However, the scale 645 still has a range of15 miles with a total of three segments being displayed within the scalecorresponding to different 5 mile segments on the scale. FIG. 6illustrates one possible mechanism for displaying the scale on the mapof the mapping application. In some embodiments, a user may cause themapping application to display the scale using various other mechanisms,including selecting different shortcut-keys and hotkeys (e.g., “Alt”) ofa keypad of the device, or after applying different gestures on atrackpad or touch-screen interface of the device. In some embodiments,the scale is automatically displayed when the mapping application isinitially launched and remains displayed at all times until the userdirects the mapping application to remove the scale.

FIG. 7 illustrates a data structure for a scale 700 that includes thevarious attributes of the scale. As illustrated, the scale 700 includesa segment unit value 705, a segment display length 710, a number ofsegments value 715, a range 720, a scale display length 725 and adesired scale length 735. FIGS. 8 and 9 describe processes for computingvalues for each of the different attributes of the scale 700. One ofordinary skill in the art will recognize that different embodiments ofthe mapping application may store more, fewer, or different attributesfor a scale than those shown in FIG. 7.

The segment unit value 705 provides a distance value that the segmentrepresents on the map. For example, in a metric system, a segment unitvalue may be 5 meters, 10 meters, 100 meters, 1 km, 5 km, etc. In a U.S.customary system, a segment unit value maybe 1 feet, 5 feet, 100 feet,1000 feet, 1 mile, 5 miles, 10 miles, etc. The segment unit value iscomputed for a particular zoom level in order to provide a desirablesegment unit value on the scale. FIG. 9 below describes a process forcomputing desirable segment unit values for a particular zoom level. Thesegment display length 710 is the length of the segment as displayed onthe screen of the device (e.g., between for example 0.5-2 cm on thescreen). This length is determined from the segment unit length based onthe scale of the map at the current zoom level.

The number of segments 715 determines the number of segments to displayin the scale. In some embodiments, the mapping application may displayeither two or three segments on the scale. In some embodiments, themapping application displays as many segments as possible withoutexceeding a certain percentage of a particular scale length (e.g., thedesirable scale length 730).

The range 720 of the scale provides a distance measurement of the totalscale on the map. For example, a scale can have a range of 0-20 miles,0-30 miles, or 0-10 km or 0-20 km. The range 720 is computed using thenumber of segments 715 and the segment unit value 705 in someembodiments.

The scale display length 725 provides the length of the scale asdisplayed on the screen. In some embodiments, this value is computed bymultiplying the number of segments value 715 with the segment displaylength value 710.

The desired scale length 730 provides a size value for the desired sizeof the scale on the screen of the device (e.g., for example 3 cm). Insome embodiments, the mapping application may exceed this desired scalelength 730 by a certain percentage in order to display three segments.In other situations, the mapping application may not exceed the desiredscale length 730 and must display only two segments. Computing thevarious attribute values 705-730 of the scale 700 illustrated in FIG. 7are described by reference to the process illustrated in FIG. 8.

FIG. 8 conceptually illustrates a process 800 of some embodiments forcomputing the attributes of a dynamic scale on the mapping application.In some embodiments, a mapping application that displays the dynamicscale performs the process 800 (e.g., the mapping application describedabove by reference to FIGS. 2-6). In addition to the process of FIG. 8,a number of the figures conceptually illustrate processes. The specificoperations of these processes may not be performed in the exact ordershown and described. The specific operations may not be performed in onecontinuous series of operations, and different specific operations maybe performed in different embodiments. Furthermore, the process could beimplemented using several sub-processes, or as part of a larger macroprocess.

The process 800 starts by receiving (at 805) input to display a scale.In order to display the scale, the process 800 must first compute thedifferent attributes of the scale. As illustrated in FIG. 7, theattributes include the segment unit value 705, the segment displaylength 710, the number of segments 715, the range 720, the scale displaylength 725, and the desired scale length 730.

The process initially (at 810) computes a segment unit value. Asillustrated in FIG. 7, the segment unit value 705 provides a value thata segment represents on the map. For example, in a metric system, asegment unit value may be 5 meters, 10 meters, 100 meters, 1 km, 5 km,etc. In a U.S. customary system, a segment unit value maybe 1 feet, 5feet, 100 feet, 1000 feet, 1 mile, 5 miles, 10 miles, etc. The segmentunit value is computed for a particular zoom level in order to provide adesirable segment unit value on the scale. FIG. 9 below describes aprocess for computing desirable segment unit values for a particularzoom level by testing a set of possible segment unit values anddetermining an optimal one of the values for the zoom level. Asdescribed, many of the values for the different attributes 705-730 ofthe scale 700 are contingent on the computed segment unit value 705 ofthe scale.

After a segment unit value 810 has been calculated, the process 800computes (at 810) the segment display length for the particular zoomlevel that accurately represents the distance of the computed segmentunit value on the map. As described above by reference to FIG. 7, thesegment display length 710 is the length of the segment as displayed onthe screen of the device (e.g., between for example 0.5-2 cm on thescreen). In order to compute (at 810) the segment display length, theprocess 800 determines the distance that is represented by a particularunit (e.g., 1 cm, 2 cm, etc.) on the display of the device. The process800 then calculates the segment display length 710 in order to provide alength that represents the segment unit value 705 that was calculatedfor the particular zoom level. For example, if the mapping applicationdetermines to display a segment that has a segment unit value 705 of 1mile, and at the current zoom level, 1 cm distance on the screenrepresents 1.2 miles, then the mapping application will compute thesegment display length 710 of the segment at approximately 0.833 cm onthe screen of the device.

The process 800 next computes (at 820) the number of segments 715 todisplay on the scale. In some embodiments, the scale may display eithertwo or three segments (although other embodiments may use differentnumbers of segments). The number of segments 715 is computed based onthe segment display length 710 and the desired scale length 730. Theprocess illustrated in FIG. 9 provides further details regardingcomputing the number of segments 715 to display on the scale.

The process 800 next computes (at 825) the range 720 of the scale. Asillustrated in FIG. 7, the range 720 provides a range value of the scalecomputed based on the number of segments 715 (e.g., 2 vs. 3 segments)and the segment unit value 705 (e.g., 1 mile, 5 miles, etc.) Forexample, for a scale for which the mapping application has computed anumber of segments 715 of 2, and a segment unit value 705 of 10 miles,this scale will have a range 720 value of 0-20 miles.

The process then displays (at 830) the scale 700 with the computed setof attributes 705-730. The set of attributes of the scale includes thescale display length 725, the range 720 of the scale, the segment unitvalue 705 (e.g., 100 feet, 500 feet, 1 mile, 5 miles, 10 miles, vs. 1meter, 100 meters, 1 km, 5 km, etc.) displayed on the scale, and thenumber of segments 715 of the scale.

The process 800 then determines (at 835) whether it is receiving moreinput to change the zoom level. If the process continues to receiveinput to change the zoom level, the process transitions back to 810 tocontinue computing values for the various attributes of the scale. Ifthe process determines that there is no additional input to zoom themap, the process ends. As noted above, this process is conceptual andvarious other types of input may be received prior to receiving an inputto change the zoom level that cause the mapping application to performvarious other operations that do not affect the display of the scale.Thus the scale may be displayed with the computed set of attributes foran unspecified amount of time (e.g., until the mapping applicationreceives input that changes the zoom level of the map). FIG. 29 belowillustrates a state diagram for the different types of user input andthe corresponding operations that are performed by the mappingapplication for each different type of input.

As described, many of the values illustrated in FIG. 7 for the differentattributes 705-730 of the scale 700 are contingent on the computedsegment unit value 705 of the scale. FIG. 9 illustrates a process 900for computing a desirable segment unit value 705 for a segment on thescale as well as a number of the segments to include in the scale.

FIG. 9 illustrates a process 900 for computing desirable segment unitvalues for the segments on the scale. The process initially identifies(at 905), for a particular zoom level, a lower bound value, L, of ascale segment unit value in meters. For example, the process mayidentify a unit value for a scale segment in meters by determining amaximum size of the scale and the number of meters that could berepresented by the scale at this maximum size. For example, at currentzoom level, the process may determine that a lower bound meter value ofa segment is 1599 meters. In particular, the maximum size of the scalemay correspond to 4797 meters, and thus if the scale were to displaythree segments, each segment would correspond to 1599 meters. Thisprovides the lower bound value L. This value is typically not adesirable number and thus the process will re-adjust the segment unitvalue according to a new desirable number value that gets computed (atthe end of process) for the segment (e.g., 1000 meters, 1 km, 5 km,etc.).

The process then selects (at 910) a unit for the scale. For example, ina metric system, the process determines whether to display the scale inmeters or kilometers. In a U.S. customary system, the process woulddetermine whether to display the scale in feet or miles. Continuing withthe example, the process may determine to display the 1599 meters inunits of “kilometers” with 1 km=1000 meters. In some embodiments, theprocess may also analyze the locale of the region of the map todetermine an appropriate unit measurement. For instance, if the mappingapplication is in use in Europe, the mapping application may apply themetric system, whereas a device in the U.S. may apply the U.S. standardsystem.

The process then computes (at 915) a log of the lower bound L (e.g.,log(L)) in the chosen units of the lower bound to obtain a number X. Thenumber X includes an integer portion I and a fractional portion f. Insome embodiments, the log may be a base 10 logarithm. In otherembodiments, a different base may be used (e.g., 2 or the natural log,etc.). Continuing with the example, computing log (1599 meters*1 km/1000meters)=(approx.) 0.2038484637. Thus the integer portion I=0 and thefractional portion f=(approx.) 0.203.

The process then compares (at 920) the fractional portion f to a set ofnumbers N and selects the smallest number N′ that is larger than f whereN′ is computed as a log of a particular number n, where n is a desirablenumber. For example, the desirable value of n could be 1.25, 2.5, 5 or10 and the number N in a set of numbers would then be {log(1.25),log(2.5), log(5), log(10)} which equals approximately {0.0969, 0.3979,0.6989, and 1}. Continuing with the example, the value oflog(2.5)=0.3979 is the smallest of the set of numbers that is largerthan the fractional portion f=(0.203). Thus the process selects for N′the value of log(2.5) and thus the selected value of n′ is 2.5.

The process then computes (at 925) 10̂(I+N′) to obtain the segment unitvalue for a segment. Simplifying the computation results in10̂I*10̂N′=10̂0*10̂(log(n′))=n′, where I=0 and n′=2.5. Thus the scalesegment would have a segment unit value of 2.5 km per segment, which wascomputed for the lower bound value of 1599 meters, and the desired scalewith a unit of measurement in kilometers. Referring back to the scaledata structure in FIG. 7, some embodiments store this value as thesegment unit value 1105 attribute of the scale.

Having computed the segment unit value of a segment for the scale, theprocess then determines (at 925) the number of segments to display inthe scale based on a segment display length of the segment and a desiredscale size. In some embodiments, the process determines the number ofsegments to display on the scale using the following series ofcomputations. The process first computes the segment display length onthe screen of the device, as described above in FIG. 8. The process thendetermines how many scale segments will fit without the scale growing toan undesirable size. In some embodiments, the process maintains adesirable scale length value 730, as illustrated in FIG. 7, from whichit computes the lower bound value, L, for the scale at operation 905.The mapping application then determines whether at this desirable scalelength value 730, the application can display less than or greater than2.5 segments. The application then rounds the number to the nearestinteger number, such that a number of segments less than 2.5 segmentsrounds to 2 and a number of segments greater than (or equal to) 2.5rounds to 3. For example, if the mapping application determines that 2.4segments fit within the desirable scale length, the application roundsthe 2.4 segments down and only displays 2 segments within the scale fordisplay on the map. Only after the scale has been reduced by a certainsize will the process then display the third segment (as illustratedabove in the transition between stages 225 and 230 of FIG. 2 and stages325 and 330 of FIG. 3.)

Continuing with the example, if the mapping application determines that2.8 segments fit within the desirable scale length, the process roundsthe 2.8 segments up and displays 3 segments within the scale for displayon the map. By only rounding up when the desirable scale length holdsclose to three segments, the application insures that the size of thescale does not grow to an undesirable length such that it overlyobscures the map display area. In some embodiments, the process maycompute a different number of segments to display in the scale otherthan two or three. For instance, in some embodiments, the process maydisplay only a single segment, or 3 or more segments. Furthermore, insome embodiments, the desirable scale length may be different based on avarious factors, including, for example, the size of the display screenof the device, the user's preference settings, etc.

The dynamic scale provides the user with a tool for approximatingdistance measurements on the map at different zoom levels. In additionto providing an indication of the distance, the dynamic scale may beused as a tool for various zoom operations. These zoom operations willnow be described in detail in the following section II.

II. Zoom Operations

The mapping application of some embodiments provides various mechanismsthrough which a user may zoom in and out of a map region. For a mappingapplication operating on a device with a touch-screen interface, themapping application is able to receive various gestural inputs (e.g.,two-finger pinch, two-finger spread, finger swipe, etc.) to zoom in andout of the map and to move to different areas of the map. For a mappingapplication with other user selection tools (e.g., trackpad, mouse,etc.), the mapping application is able to receive other types of inputfor zooming-in and zooming-out on the map or to move to a differentregion of the map. Furthermore, certain UI tools, such as the dynamicscale and the compass control tool can also be used to change todifferent zoom levels and/or to navigate the map. FIG. 10 illustratesthree mechanisms that a user may use to zoom to different levels of themap.

A. Standard Zooming Mechanisms

FIG. 10 illustrates a user changing to a different zoom level on the mapusing three different input devices/tools, including a tool (e.g.,mouse) that controls a location indicator (e.g., cursor) on the display,a trackpad device, and a mouse with a scrollable wheel. This exampleillustrated in this figure is provided using an initial stage 1005 andthree separate two-stage sequences (1010-1015, 1020-1025, and 1030-1035)that each begins with the same initial stage 1005. In particular, thesequence of stages 1010-1015 illustrates the user using a locationindicator tool to zoom in and out on the map, the sequence of stages1020-1025 illustrates the user using a trackpad to zoom in and out onthe map, and the sequence of stages 1030-1035 illustrates the user usinga scrollable wheel on a mouse to zoom in and out on the map.

Stage 1005 illustrates the mapping application displaying a region of amap, the user's current location 1040 on the map, and the scale 1050,among various other controls described above by reference to FIG. 3. Thescale 1050 has a range of 0-15 miles. Furthermore, the scale 1050includes 3 segments, each corresponding to a 5-mile interval. Stage 1010illustrates the user zooming in on the map by repeatedly selecting withthe location indicator 1055 (e.g., double clicking) on a particularlocation of the map. As such, the map has been zoomed to a higher levelthan stage 1005. The roads appear wider and a smaller region of the mapis being displayed within the map. Furthermore, the scale 1050 hasincreased in size to correspond to show a larger distance measurementfor the higher zoom level, although the other attributes of the scaleare identical to stage 1005. In addition to selecting with a locationindicator to zoom-in on a particular location, a user is also able tozoom-out of the map using the same repeated selection with the locationindicator 1055.

Stage 1015 illustrates the user zooming out of the map using a repeatedselection of the location with the location indicator (e.g.,double-clicking the location). As illustrated, the mapping applicationis displaying a larger region of the map than stage 1010 correspondingto the lower zoom level. Furthermore, the scale 1050 has again beenreduced in size. In some embodiments, the map application will initiallyzoom in on the map when it receives a double-click of the locationindicator. After reaching the highest zoom level available on the map,the mapping application will then begin to zoom out for each subsequentdouble-click location indicator input. In some embodiments, the user mayselect to either zoom-in or zoom-out using a combination of a keypad key(e.g., holding down “Alt”) and then double-clicking (or a similar cursorcontroller operation) in order to determine whether to zoom in or out ofthe map. In some embodiments, the user may select with the locationindicator the particular location only a single time (e.g., singleclick) to cause the mapping application to begin zooming to a differentlevel.

Stages 1020-1025 illustrate the user zooming in and out of the map usinga trackpad 1060 input device. In particular, the trackpad 1060 isreceiving gestural input from the user in these stages. In stage 1020,the user is applying a two-finger spreading gesture, which correspondsto the gestural input for zooming-in on the map. As such, the mappingapplication is displaying the map region at a higher zoom level than inthe initial state 1005. The roads appear wider and a smaller region ofthe map is being displayed. Furthermore, the scale 1050 has increased insize in order to correctly provide an accurate distance measurement forthis particular zoom level, although the other attribute values haveremained the same as in the initial stage 1005. The user is also able tozoom out of the map using a different, opposite gestural motion. Stage1025 illustrates the user zooming out of the map by applying atwo-finger pinch on the trackpad 1060. As such, the mapping applicationis displaying the region of the map at a lower zoom level, with theroads narrower and a larger region of the map being displayed than stage1020.

Stages 1030-1035 illustrate another mechanism by which a user maycontrol the zoom of the map using a mouse with a scrollable wheel 1070.In particular, the scrollable wheel of the mouse 1070 is receivinggestural input from the user to move the wheel in an upward direction,which corresponds to zooming-in on the map. As such, the mappingapplication is displaying the map region at a higher zoom level than inthe initial state 1005. The roads appear wider and a smaller region ofthe map is being displayed. Furthermore, the scale 1050 has increased insize in order to accurately provide a distance measurement indication atthis particular zoom level, although the other attribute values haveremained the same as in the initial stage 1005. The user is also able tozoom out of the map by scrolling the wheel 1070 in the opposite downwarddirection. Stage 1035 illustrates the user zooming out of the map byrolling the scrollable wheel of the mouse 1070 downwards. As such, themapping application is displaying the region of the map at a lower zoomlevel, with the roads narrower and a larger region of the map beingdisplayed than stage 1030. In some embodiments, an upward scroll of ascroll-wheel of a mouse device may correspond to a zoom-out operation ofa map and a downward scroll of the scroll-wheel may correspond to azoom-in on the map. In some embodiments, the scroll-wheel of a mouse mayallow a user to click the scroll-wheel which may be used to change todifferent zoom levels on the map.

Besides the various input tools for changing the zoom level on the map,the mapping application of some embodiments allows a user to change to adifferent zoom level using certain existing UI tools that appear on themap. FIG. 11 illustrates the dynamic scale which serves as a UI tool forproviding a distance measurement indication to the user may also be usedas a tool for changing the zoom level of the map.

B. Interactive Scale to Zoom Map

FIG. 11 illustrates using the scale as a tool for zooming to differentlevels of the map. This figure illustrates in four stages 1105-1120 auser both zooming in on an area of a map and zooming out of the area ofthe map by dragging the scale in different directions. The first stage1105 illustrates the mapping application displaying an area of a map.The map includes a scale 1130. The scale 1130 currently has a range of 0to 15 miles and is displaying three segments, each corresponding to5-mile segments on the map. The user has also placed a locationindicator 1125 (e.g., cursor) at a particular location along the scale1130 and is selecting and dragging the scale 1130 to the right in anoutward direction to grow the size of the scale. By selecting anddragging the scale 1130 to the right, the user is able to cause themapping application to zoom to a higher level on the map. In someembodiments, the user can select and drag the scale 1130 using an inputdevice (e.g., mouse) or using a keypad with various commands.

Stage 1110 illustrates that the scale 1130 has increased in size due tothe user selecting and dragging the scale using the location indicator1125. By increasing the size of the scale 1130, the user has also zoomedin on the map. As illustrated, the streets now appear wider and asmaller area of the map is being displayed.

Stage 1115 illustrates the user selecting and dragging the scale 1130 tothe left in an inward direction that reduces the size of the scale.Stage 1120 illustrates the mapping application displaying a larger areaof the map with the illustrated roads appearing narrower. Furthermore,the scale 1130 has been reduced not only in size, but the range of thescale has been changed to 0 to 20 miles with only two segments beingdisplayed on the scale corresponding to 0-10 and 10-20 mile segments.FIG. 11 illustrates a user selecting a scale of the mapping applicationto change to different zoom levels of the map. In some embodiments, auser is not required to select directly on the scale to zoom todifferent levels, but may also select within a certain buffer regionsurrounding the scale. FIG. 12 illustrates a user changing the zoomlevels of the map by selecting within a buffer region surrounding thescale.

FIG. 12 illustrates three stages 1205-1215 of a user first zooming in onan area of a map and then zooming out of the area. The first stage 1205illustrates the mapping application displaying a region of a map. Themapping application is also displaying a scale 1220. For the particularzoom level of the map, the scale 1220 is at a range of 15 miles, and isdisplaying three segments each at 5 mile intervals. Stage 1205 alsoillustrates a shaded region 1225 surrounding the scale 1220. This shadedregion 1225 illustrates an area around the scale 1220 that a user mayalso select to change the size of the scale and thus zoom to a differentlevel of the map. In some embodiments, the mapping application allows auser to select within the general surrounding vicinity of the scale 1220because a user may have difficulty selecting a position directly on thescale because the mapping application often displays the scale as only afew pixels wide on the display screen of the device. Thus a user mayhave difficulty positioning their input device directly on a pixelrepresenting the scale 1220. As illustrated in stage 1205, the user isselecting and dragging the location indicator 1230 within the shadedregion 1225 of the scale 1220 and moving in an outward direction toincrease the size of the scale 1220.

Stage 1210 illustrates that the scale 1220 has increased in size. Thescale 1220 still provides a range of 0 to 15 miles and is displayingthree segments each at 5-mile intervals. Since the user has increasedthe size of the scale 1225 through the select and drag operation, themapping application has also zoomed in on the area of the map. Asillustrated, the roads within the region of the map now appear largerthan in stage 1205 and a smaller area is being displayed by the mappingapplication. Stage 1210 also illustrates the user selecting and draggingthe location indicator 1230 in an inward direction within the shadedregion 1225 surrounding the scale 1220.

Stage 1215 illustrates that the scale 1220 has now decreased in size.Furthermore, the scale 1220 now displays a range of 0 to 20 miles andincludes two segments, each at 10-mile intervals. The mappingapplication also illustrates that the roads are narrower and a largerarea of the map being displayed than in stage 1210. FIG. 12 illustratesthat the user is able to select within a certain surrounding region ofthe scale and still change the size of the scale. Although this figureillustrates the surrounding region 1225 as shaded, this is only forillustrative purposes and the surrounding shaded region is not actuallyvisible in the actual implementation of the mapping application in someembodiments. Furthermore, different embodiments may specify a differentsize of the surrounding region based on different criteria.

In some embodiments, once a user selects a floating control (e.g., thedynamic scale or the compass control described in detail below) with thelocation indicator to perform a drag operation on the floating control,the mapping application does not display the location indicator (e.g.,cursor) while the particular floating control is being dragged. Forexample, when the user selects and drags the dynamic scale with thelocation indicator to change to a different zoom level, the mappingapplication does not display the location indicator during the durationof the drag operation. Likewise, when the user selects and drags thecompass control in a particular direction, the mapping application doesnot display the location indicator during the dragging of the compasscontrol.

By not displaying the location indicator, the application provides theuser with a sense that they are now controlling the particular floatingcontrol on the screen, rather than the position of the locationindicator on the screen. By not displaying the location indicator duringthese operations, the application gives the user a greater sense ofactually controlling the movement of the floating control on the screen.For example, the user may drag the mouse in different directions afterselecting the dynamic scale and see the scale being resized and the mapbeing zoomed based on the dragging of the mouse. Likewise, the user maydrag the mouse in different directions after selecting the compasscontrol and see both the map and compass control rotate and/ortransition between 2D/3D based on the movement of the mouse inputdevice. On the other hand, some embodiments maintain a display of thelocation indicator without moving the location indicator during theoperation.

In other embodiments, the floating control tools may be controlledthrough a touch interface of a device, which may not display a locationindicator at all. FIG. 13 illustrates a touch input on the scale to zoomto different levels by a mapping application of a touch-sensitive deviceof some embodiments. This figure illustrates in four stages 1305-1320 auser using a touching gesture to zoom in on an area of a map and to zoomout of the area of the map. The first stage 1305 illustrates a mappingapplication running on a device with a touch screen user interface. Forexample, the device may be a smartphone or tablet that allows a user totouch the screen to navigate the map on a display area. In the firststage 1305, the mapping application is displaying an area of a map at aparticular zoom level. The mapping application is displaying a scale1325 overlaid on the map. The scale 1325 currently has a range of 0 to15 miles, and is displaying three segments, each at 5-mile intervals(e.g., 0-5, 5-10, and 10-15 miles). The user is also swiping theirfinger along the scale 1325 in an outward direction to the right, whichincreases the size of the scale 1325 on the map.

Stage 1310 illustrates that the scale 1325 has increased in size but hasmaintained the same range (0 to 15 miles) and number of segments. Themapping application has zoomed in on the particular area of the map as aresult of the user swiping her finger to increase the size of the scale1325. Stage 1310 now illustrates the user swiping her finger along thescale 1325 in the opposite, inward direction which reduces the size ofthe scale 1325 (and thus zooms out). Stage 1315 illustrates that thescale 1325 has decreased in size, but again has maintained the samerange (0 to 15 miles) and number of segments (3 segments at 5-mileintervals). The mapping application has also zoomed out to show a largerportion of the map and smaller, narrower roads within the map. Stage1315 illustrates the user again swiping their finger along the scale1325 in an inward direction to further reduce the size of the scale 1325(and thus continue zooming out of the map region). Stage 1320illustrates that the mapping application has again zoomed out to show alarger region of the map. The scale 1325 has both decreased in size andis showing a new range from 0 to 20 miles. Furthermore, the scale 1325has reduced the number of segments from three to two, the two segmentscorresponding to 0 to 10 miles and 10 to 20 miles. The map is displayinga larger region with even smaller roads. FIG. 13 thus illustrates that auser may use various touch gestures on the scale to adjust the zoomlevel of the map when using a device with a touch-screen interface.

C. Smart-Aim Zoom

In some embodiments, the mapping application provides a “smart-aim” zoomfeature that guides a user when zooming to a location on the map. Inparticular, the smart-aim zoom will first determine whether a particularlocation at which a user would like to zoom is near a particular pointof interest (or a pin) on the map. In some embodiments, if the user'sselected location is near (i.e., within a threshold distance of) asingle point of interest/pin on the map, the mapping application zoomsto the point of interest/pin on the map. If the location is near twopoints of interest/pins, the mapping application zooms to the closestpoint of interest/pin to the particular location. Otherwise, if theparticular location is near (i.e., within a certain threshold distance)a cloud of points of interest/pins (i.e., a group of points of interestwithin a particular distance of each other on the map), the mappingapplication zooms to the center of the cloud of points of interest onthe map. Otherwise the zoom is directed towards the user's selectedlocation.

In some embodiments, the smart-aim zoom algorithm treats “points ofinterest” on the map the same as “pins” on the map. Accordingly, thedescription of the smart-aim algorithm in some embodiments may use theterms “point of interest” or “pin” interchangeably within thedescription of the algorithm. In particular, points of interest on a mapgenerally corresponds to locations on the map that have been identifiedas locations that would interest a user, including, for example, a placeof business, a tourist attraction, a landmark, a park, a building, etc.Pins on the map may correspond to locations that have been identified onthe map as a result of, for example, a search query, a user dropping apin on the map, a bookmarked location on the map, and various otheractions that produce pins on the map. As described, the smart-aim zoomfirst determines whether a user's zoom location is near a particularpoint of interest or pin on the map. FIG. 14 illustrates a zoom towardsa particular pin. This figure illustrates this operation in two stages1405-1410.

The first stage 1405 illustrates the mapping application displaying aparticular area of a map that includes various roads, the user's currentlocation 1415 on the map, and a pin 1420. The pin may appear on the map,for instance, as a result of a previous search query executed by theuser. In various embodiments, responsive to a user selection of a pin onthe map (e.g., a touch selection, such as a tap), the device isconfigured to display additional information about the selected pinincluding but not limited to ratings, reviews or review snippets, hoursof operation, store status (e.g., open for business, permanently closed,etc.), and/or images of a storefront for the point of interest.

Stage 1405 also illustrates the mapping application receiving aselection input 1430 at a particular location on the map. This locationis within a certain threshold distance, or radius of the pin 1420, asillustrated by the shaded region 1425 surrounding the pin. The shadedregion is illustrated in this figure only for illustrative purposes butis not actually displayed on the map by the mapping application. In someembodiments, the mapping application uses a different thresholddistances for different pins based on various factors. For example, themapping application will use a larger distance for a pin or point ofinterest that has been selected and a smaller distance for a pin orpoint of interest that has not been selected. Furthermore, in someembodiments, the mapping application uses larger threshold distances forpins and smaller threshold distances for points of interest.

Stage 1405 illustrates that the user has selected to zoom in on an areathat is very close to the pin 1420. As such, the mapping applicationinfers that the user actually intends to zoom in directly on the pin1420. As such, the mapping application will re-center the map on the pin1420 and focus the zoom on this point rather than the user's actualselected location 1430. Stage 1410 illustrates that the mappingapplication has now zoomed in on the pin 1420, which is now centeredwithin the map. In this stage 1410, the mapping application displays asmaller region of the map with larger roads.

FIG. 14 illustrates a user selecting within a certain threshold distanceof a single pin that caused the mapping application to infer that theuser most likely intended to zoom in on the actual pin. In someembodiments, a user's selection may also be near a single point ofinterest on the map. When the user selects a location that is near acertain distance to a single point of interest (or pin) on the map, themapping application infers that the user intends to zoom in on the pointof interest and thus re-centers a zoom on the point of interest.

FIG. 15 illustrates a zoom towards a single particular point of intereston the map. This figure illustrates this operation in two stages1505-1510. The first stage 1505 illustrates the mapping applicationdisplaying a particular area of a map that includes various roads, theuser's current location 1515 on the map, and a point of interest 1520.The point of interest may appear on the map as a location that wouldlikely interest a user searching within the particular region of themap. For example, the point of interest 1520 may be a place of business,a tourist attraction, a landmark, etc. In various embodiments,responsive to a user selection of a the point of interest 1520 on themap (e.g., a touch selection, such as a tap), the device is configuredto display additional information about the selected point of interest1520 including but not limited to ratings, reviews or review snippets,hours of operation, store status (e.g., open for business, permanentlyclosed, etc.), and/or images of a storefront for the point of interest.

Stage 1505 also illustrates the mapping application receiving aselection input 1530 at a particular location on the map. This locationis within a certain threshold distance, “r”, of the single point ofinterest 1520, as illustrated by the shaded region 1525 surrounding thepoint of interest. The shaded region 1525 is illustrated in this figureonly for illustrative purposes but is not actually displayed on the mapby the mapping application. In particular, the user has selected to zoomin on an area that is very close to the point of interest 1520. As such,the mapping application infers that the user actually intends to zoom indirectly on the point of interest 1520. As such, the mapping applicationwill re-center the map on the point of interest 1520 and focus the zoomon this point rather than the user's actual selected location 1530.Stage 1510 illustrates the mapping application has now zoomed in on thepoint of interest 1520, which is now centered within the map. In thisstage 1510, the mapping application displays a smaller region of the mapwith larger roads than compared to stage 1505. FIGS. 14 and 15illustrate a user selecting within a certain threshold distance of asingle pin or point of interest that caused the mapping application toinfer that the user most likely intended to zoom in on the actual pin orpoint of interest.

In some embodiments, a user's selection may not be near a single pointof interest (or pin), but rather, near a group (sometimes referred to asa cloud) of several points of interest and/or pins. When the userselects a location that is within a certain distance to a cloud ofpoints of interest and/or pins, the mapping application infers that theuser intends to zoom in on the cloud of pins and thus re-centers a zoomover a center of the cloud of pins. FIG. 16 illustrates a user zoomingin on a location near a cloud of several pins and the mappingapplication centering the zoom on this cloud of pins. This figureillustrates this operation in two stages 1605-1610.

The first stage 1605 illustrates the mapping application displaying aregion of a map. The region of the map includes various roads, theuser's current location 1615 on the map, and several pins correspondingto various points of interest 1620-1630. For each point of interest1620-1630, this stage illustrates a first shaded region 1635 that has aradius “r” from a particular point of interest or pin. Furthermore, thisstage also illustrates a second shaded region 1640 that has a largerradius “R” from a center point 1645 of the cloud of points of interestand pins 1620-1630. The mapping application is also receiving a userselection 1650 within this second shaded region 1640. Since the userselection 1650 is not within any of the smaller shaded regions 1635 of asingle point of interest 1620-1630, and it is not within an intersectingshaded region of two points of interest or pins, the mapping applicationdoes not re-center the zoom directly on any of the individual pins1620-1630. However, since the mapping application has detected that theuser selection is within the second, larger threshold distance “R” fromthe center 1645 of the cloud of pins 1620-1630, the mapping applicationwill center the zoom using a computed center 1645 of the cloud of pins1620-1630. In some embodiments, the center 1645 is computed by averagingthe longitude and latitude coordinates of the pins and points ofinterest of the cloud (i.e., computing the barycenter). In someembodiments, the mapping application may select a “central” pin fromamong the cloud of pins 1620-1630 as the center to focus a zoom. Inparticular, the “central” pin may be identified by determining a pinamongst the cloud of pins for which the sum of the distances to theother pins in the cloud of pins is a minimum.

Stage 1610 illustrates that the mapping application has now zoomed in onthe region of the map that includes the cloud of pins 1620-1630.Furthermore, the zoom has been centered on a calculated center (notillustrated) of the cloud of pins 1620-1630. Thus, even though theuser's selection input was received at a different location, the mappingapplication has intelligently determined to focus the zoom on the centerof cloud of pins 1620-1630.

In the situation where a user's selection is not near a single pin, andis not near a cloud of pins, the mapping application zooms directly tothe user's selected location. FIG. 17 illustrates the mappingapplication zooming directly to a user's selection. This figureillustrates this operation in two stages 1705-1710.

Stage 1705 illustrates the mapping application displaying an area of amap with various roads, the user's current location 1715 on the map,several pins and points of interest 1720-1735. Each pin and/or point ofinterest 1720-1735 also illustrates a surrounding first shaded region1740 with a radius “r” from the particular pin 1720-1735. The cloud ofpins 1720-1730 also include a surrounding larger second shaded region1745 with a radius “R” from a center 1750 of the cloud of pins1720-1730. This stage 1705 illustrates a first shaded region 1740surrounding each pin 1720-1735 and a second shaded region 1745surrounding the cloud of pins 1720-1730. As described above, theseshaded regions are illustrated only for explanatory purposes and are notactually visible on the map in the mapping application.

Stage 1705 illustrates the mapping application receiving a user'sselection input 1755 at a particular location on the map. This selectioninput 1755 is not within any of the individual shaded regions 1740 ofany of the pins 1720-1735. Thus the mapping application will not zoom toany single pin on the map. Furthermore, the selection input 1755 is notwithin the second shaded region 1745 surrounding the cloud of pins1720-1730. Thus the mapping application will not zoom to the center ofthe cloud of pins 1720-1730. Since the user's selection is not withinany of the different shaded regions, the mapping application will zoomto the location of the user's selection input 1755.

Stage 1710 illustrates that the mapping application has zoomed to thearea of the map centered at the user's selection input (not illustrated)received in stage 1705. The mapping application displays a single pin1730 that has not been centered on the map, since the user selection onthe map was at a distance larger than a threshold distance from this pin1730. FIGS. 14-17 illustrate the smart-aim zoom feature used by someembodiments of the mapping application when zooming on a map. Thissmart-aim feature determines a user's likely intended zoom location toeither a pin, a cloud of pins, or an actual location that has not beendesignated as a point of interest.

FIG. 18 conceptually illustrates a process 1800 of some embodiments forimplementing a smart-aim zoom. In some embodiments, a mappingapplication performs the process 1800. The process 1800 starts byreceiving (at 1805) an input at a particular location on a map to zoomto a different level of the map. The input may be received from variousinput devices, including any combination of a trackpad, mouse, keypad,scroll-wheel of a mouse, etc. In some embodiments, only specific typesof zoom input result in the application performing a smart-aim zoom(e.g., a double-click or double-tap zoom input), while other types ofzoom input do not use the smart-aim zoom process (e.g., using adisplayed scale to change the zoom level).

The process then determines (at 1810) whether the particular location iswithin a first threshold distance of a single point of interest and/or asingle pin on the map. In some embodiments, the threshold distance thatis used may be a configurable parameter that can be specified by theuser. In some embodiments, the threshold distance will vary based on thetype of device being used, and thus may take into account the size ofthe screen space on which the mapping application is being displayed. Insome embodiments, the threshold distance for a pin is larger than thethreshold distance for a point of interest and the threshold distancefor a selected pin or point of interest is larger than the thresholddistance of a non-selected pin or point of interest.

When the process determines (at 1810) that the particular location iswithin the first threshold distance of only a singe pin or point ofinterest, the process zooms (at 1815) to the new different zoom leveland uses the single point of interest (or single pin) as the point onwhich to focus the zoom. The process then ends. Thus the mappingapplication will re-center the map region on the point of interest orpin and not the actual location that the user had selected on the map.

When the process determines (at 1810) that the particular location isnot within the first threshold distance of a single pin or point ofinterest, the process then determines (at 1820) whether the particularlocation is within the first threshold distance of two pins and/orpoints of interest (e.g., 1 pin and 1 point of interest, 2 pins, orpoints of interest). If the process determines that the particularlocation is within the first threshold distance of two pins/points ofinterest, the process zooms (at 1825) to the different zoom level usingthe pin or point of interest that is closest to the particular locationas the centered point of reference for focusing the zoom. The processthen ends.

If the location is not within this first threshold distance of twopins/points of interest, the process determines (at 1830) whether theparticular location is within a second threshold distance of a group(also called a cloud) of pins and/or points of interest. For example,the user may select near a cloud of pins and points of interest on themap. Some embodiments identify clouds of pins and/or points of interestupon the display of the pins and points of interest on the map. In someembodiments, pins and points of interest are considered part of a singlecloud when the first threshold distances (as described above for thesmart zoom to a single pin) of the pins and points of interest overlap.Other embodiments consider all points of interest and/or pins within theviewable region of the map to be part of a cloud.

When the particular location is within the second threshold distance ofthe several points of interest and/or pins, the process identifies (at1835) a center for the several points of interest and pins that form thecloud. In some embodiments, in order to identify a “center” of severalpoints of interests and pins, the process computes the average of thecoordinates (i.e. longitude and latitude coordinates) of the pins and/orpoints of interest on the map (i.e., the barycenter). In someembodiments, the process identifies a “central” pin (or point ofinterest) as the center by identifying a pin among the cloud of pins forwhich the sum of the distances to the other pins is a minimum. In someembodiments, the process may use other mechanisms for determining acenter of a cloud of pins and points of interest.

After the process identifies a center for the cloud of pins, the processzooms (at 1840) to the different zoom level using the identified centeras the centered point of reference for focusing the zoom and ends.However, if the process (at 1830) determines that the particularlocation is not within a second threshold distance of several pinsand/or points of interest, the process zooms (at 1845) to the differentzoom level using the particular location (at which the zoom input wasreceived) as the centered point on which to focus the zoom. The processthen ends.

D. Locked Zoom

In some embodiments, the mapping application also provides a “locked”zoom feature that allows a user to focus a zoom on a particular locationof the map without having to constantly re-center the map region to zoomin on the location. In particular, the locked zoom feature locks aparticular location to use as a “center” of a zoom when it firstreceives an initial input to zoom the map. The subsequent zooms are thenlocked towards this particular location even though the locationindicator may be moved to a different area of the map. For example, auser may apply a series of two-finger spreading gestures on a trackpaddevice to zoom-in on a particular location on the map. While applyingthese series of gestures on the trackpad, the user may accidentallycause the location indicator to move to a different location of the mapthan the original location at which the user intended to direct thezoom. However, the locked zoom feature of the mapping applicationprevents the application from zooming to the moved location indicatorlocation, since the application locked the center of the zoom at theoriginal location at which the user first initiated the zoom on the map.Thus the user may continue to apply the gestures to zoom towards thisoriginal intended location without having to constantly re-center themap on the original location when the location indicator is accidentlymoved to a different location on the map. FIG. 19 illustrates themapping application zooming in on a particular location on the map usinga locked zoom feature. This figure illustrates this operation in threestages 1905-1915.

The first stage 1905 illustrates the mapping application displaying anarea of a map that includes various roads, the user's current location1925 on the map, various pins 1930, a first shaded region of a pin 1935and a second shaded region 1940 surrounding a cloud of pins 1930. Stage1905 also illustrates a trackpad 1950 that provides a touch input forinteracting with the mapping application and controlling the movement ofthe location indicator 1955 along the map. In particular, the user hasplaced the location indicator 1955 at a particular location on the map.This location is not within a first surrounding region 1935 of anyindividual pin 1930 or the second surrounding region 1940 of the cloudof pins 1930. Furthermore, the trackpad 1950 illustrates the userapplying a two-finger spreading gesture (e.g., moving two fingers awayfrom each other on the trackpad) in order to zoom-in on the selectedlocation 1955.

Stage 1910 illustrates that the mapping application is displaying themap at a higher zoom level than it did at the previous stage 1905. Themapping application has locked the zoom at the particular location 1960that was initially selected by the user in stage 1905. Furthermore, themapping application now indicates that the location indicator 1955 hasmoved to a different area on the map. The trackpad 1950 indicates thatthe user is applying a second two-finger spreading gesture to zoom-infurther on the map. As the mapping application previously locked theuser's selected location 1960 for zooming the map, the mappingapplication will continue to zoom in on this particular location 1960even though the location indicator 1955 has moved to a different area onthe map.

Stage 1915 illustrates that the mapping application is displaying themap at a higher zoom level than it did at the previous stage 1910, andthat this zoom has been focused towards the original selected location1960 even though the location indicator 1955 has now moved to adifferent location on the map after the gestural input for zooming themap. In particular, in some embodiments, after the mapping applicationreceives a gestural input to begin zooming in on the map at theparticular location 1960, the mapping application locks this particularlocation for subsequent zooms, even though the location indicator 1955may move to a different location on the map. Furthermore, the mappingapplication will ignore the movement of the location indicator 1955 as aresult of the zoom swiping gestures, and continue to zoom in on theoriginal location 1960 selected by the user. In some embodiments, theseries of swiping gestures must be received within a certain timeinterval for the mapping application to keep the original selectedlocation 1960 locked for the zoom. If a user decides to select adifferent location at which to re-center the zoom, the mappingapplication is able to detect this new location by analyzing the timebetween the zoom gestural input to determine whether to keep theoriginal location locked or to use a new location as the focus of asubsequent zoom.

In addition to the various zooming mechanisms described above, themapping application of some embodiments provides a novel interactivecompass that may also be used for a variety of different purposes, whichis described below in Section III.

III. Interactive Compass

In some embodiments the mapping application provides an interactive onscreen compass control that can be used to apply several differentoperations in the mapping application. For example, different user inputon the compass control can cause the mapping application to performvarious different operations, including rotating the map in differentdirections, transitioning the map presentation between 2D and 3D modes,and various other operations based on the particular type of user input.In particular, when the compass is dragged in a first verticaldirection, the mapping application transitions from a 2D presentation toa 3D presentation (or vice-versa). When the compass control is draggedin a second, horizontal direction, the mapping application rotates themap in conjunction with the rotation of the compass. When the compasscontrol receives a first selection input (e.g., a mouse click on thecompass control), both the compass and corresponding map are rotateduntil they reach a north-up orientation. When the compass receives asecond subsequent selection input (e.g., a second mouse click), themapping application toggles the presentation of the map between a 2D and3D mode. In addition to causing the application to perform the variousoperations described above, the compass control serves as (1) anindicator as to whether the mapping application is currently in a 2Dmode or a 3D mode and (2) an indicator that continuously points to north(e.g., the direction to the North Pole). FIG. 20 illustrates the compasscontrol as an indicator of whether the mapping application is in a 2D or3D view of the map. This example illustrated in this figure is providedin terms of two stages 2005-2010 of interactions with the mappingapplication.

The first stage 2005 illustrates that the mapping application isdisplaying a map region that includes the current location 2015 of thedevice and a compass control 2020. The compass control 2020 serves as anindicator for several purposes. First, the compass control 2020 providesan indication of whether the mapping application is currently in a 2Dmode or a 3D mode. Second, the compass control 2020 serves as anindicator that the user can use to identify the direction to the NorthPole. In some embodiments, this compass control 2020 is in the shape oftwo isosceles triangles that abut at their bases, with one of thetriangles pointing north (in a direction away from the abutting bases)and having a color (e.g., orange) that differentiates it from the othertriangle. As further described below, the compass control 2020 can alsobe used to restore a north-up orientation after the user has rotated a2D or 3D view of the map. In some embodiments, the compass control 2020will not disappear until the mapping application receives a user inputto remove the compass (e.g., selection of the compass).

In stage 2005, the compass control 2020 is illustrated upright, flat onthe map to indicate that the mapping application is in a 2D mode. Inthis stage, the mapping application is also receiving a user selectionof a 3D button 2025 to switch from the current 2D mode of the map to a3D mode of the map.

Stage 2010 illustrates that the mapping application has entered a 3Dmode, with the buildings illustrated on the map in a 3-dimensions.Furthermore, the compass control 2020 has changed shape to a3-dimensional object as well. In some embodiments, the mappingapplication displays a shadow underneath the compass control 2020 tofurther exemplify that the mapping application is in a 3D mode.

In order to give an indication to the user that the compass control is aselectable control item within the user interface of the mappingapplication, the compass control changes size when a user's controlinput is positioned over the compass control. FIG. 21 illustrates thecompass control changing size to indicate that it is selectable when auser's location indicator is positioned over the compass. This exampleillustrated in this figures is provided in terms of three stages2105-2115 of interactions with the mapping application.

The first stage 2105 illustrates the mapping application displaying amap region that includes the current location 2120 of the device, alocation indicator 2125, and a compass control 2130. As illustrated, thelocation indicator 2125 is currently positioned over a zoom-out buttonon the map (which is not being selected). The compass control 2130 isillustrated at a particular size within the map.

The second stage 2110 illustrates that the location indicator 2125 hasmoved and is now positioned over the compass control 2130. As such, thecompass control 2130 has changed in size to a larger size to indicatethat it is a selectable item on the map. If the compass control 2130 hadnot changed size, a user would likely have not known that the user isable to select the compass control 2130 for various operations. Stage2115 illustrates that the location indicator 2125 has moved further upand is no longer positioned over the compass control 2130. Since thelocation indicator 2125 is no longer positioned over the compass control2130, the compass control 2130 has changed back to its original sizeillustrated in stage 2105.

A. Compass for Transitioning Between 2D and 3D

A user may use the compass control to apply various operations in themapping application. For example, the user may drag the compass in aparticular direction to rotate the map. Furthermore, the user may dragthe compass in another particular direction to cause the mappingapplication to transition from a 2D mode to a 3D mode (or a 3D mode to a2D mode depending on the current mode of the mapping application). FIG.22 illustrates the map view transitioning from a 2D to 3D mode based ona user dragging the compass control in a vertical direction. Thisexample illustrated in this figure is provided in terms of three stages2205-2215 of interactions with the mapping application. For each stage,the figure also illustrates the concept of a virtual camera. Whenrendering a 3D map, a virtual camera is a conceptualization of theposition in the 3D map scene from which the device renders the scene togenerate a 3D view of the map. FIG. 22 illustrates a location in a 3Dmap scene 2225 that includes three buildings and various intersectingroads. To illustrate the transition of the map view from a 2D to a 3Dmode, this figure illustrates a corresponding virtual camera 2220 inthree scenarios, each of which corresponds to a different virtual cameralocation (i.e., a different rendering position) and a differentresulting view that is displayed by the mapping application on thedevice in each stage 2205-2215.

Stage 2205 illustrates the mapping application displaying a region of amap in a 2D mode. The region includes 3 buildings and variousintersecting roads. The first stage 2205 shows the virtual camera 2220at a first perspective position pointing directly downwards towards the2D map at a first angle (e.g., 90 degrees) with respect to the horizon.In this position, the camera 2220 points towards a location that may bea stationary position of the device or of a location being explored withthe mapping application. When the map is being used for navigation, thelocation may correspond to a position in front of a moving location ofthe device. In some embodiments, the default position of the camera 2220is set at a particular orientation with respect to the current location,but this orientation can be modified when the user rotates the map.Stage 2205 also illustrates the mapping application receiving a selectand drag of the compass control 2230 in a vertical direction upwards.This causes the map view to begin to transition from the current 2D modeto a 3D mode.

Stage 2210 illustrates the mapping application displaying the region ofthe map in a 3D mode. The building and roads are now illustrated in 3D.Furthermore, stage 2210 illustrates the virtual camera 2220 at a newperspective position pointing downwards towards the 3D map at a smallerangle with respect to the horizon (that is less than 90 degrees). Thescene rising is accomplished by the virtual camera 2220 lowering anddecreasing the viewing angle with respect to the horizon. Rendering a 3Dmap view using the virtual camera 2220 positioned at this angle resultsin a 3D map view 2210 in which the buildings and the roads are tallerthan their illustration in the first map view 2205 in the first stage.As indicated by the dashed-line arc 2240, the virtual camera 2200 moveddownwards along arc 2240 while tilting (e.g., pitching) farther up.Furthermore, in stage 2210, the mapping application is still receiving aselect and drag of the compass control 2230 in the vertical direction.

The third stage 2215 shows the scene rising, which is accomplished bythe virtual camera 2220 lowering and decreasing the viewing angle withrespect to the horizon. In some embodiments, the particular rate bywhich the virtual camera lowers (or raises) is computed based on therate that the user performs the drag operation. For example, if a userperforms a fast vertical drag, the mapping application will quicklytransition between the 2D and 3D modes, whereas if the user performs aslower vertical drag, the mapping application will transition betweenthe 2D and 3D modes at a slower rate. Rendering a 3D map view using thevirtual camera 2220 positioned at this angle results in a 3D map view2215 in which the buildings and the roads are taller than theirillustration in the map view of the second stage 2210. The third stage2215 shows the virtual camera 2220 at a different second perspectiveposition pointing at a lower perspective towards the 3D map 2225 at aneven smaller second angle (e.g., 30 degrees) with respect to the horizonthan in the second stage 2210. As indicated by the dashed-line arc 2240,the virtual camera 2200 has moved even further downwards along arc 2240while tilting (e.g., pitching) farther up.

FIG. 23 illustrates the map view transitioning from a 3D to 2D modebased on a user dragging the compass control in a vertical directiondownwards. This example illustrated in this figure is provided in termsof three stages 2305-2315 of interactions with the mapping application.For each stage, the figure also illustrates the virtual camera over themap scene. Stage 2305 illustrates the mapping application displayingthree buildings and various intersecting roads in 3D. Furthermore, stage2305 illustrates the virtual camera 2320 at a perspective positionpointing downwards towards the 3D map scene 2325 at a particular anglewith respect to the horizon (that is less than 90 degrees). Stage 2305also illustrates the mapping application receiving a select and drag ofthe compass control 2330 in a vertical direction downwards. This causesthe mapping application to transition the map view from the current 3Dmode to a 2D mode.

Stage 2310 illustrates the mapping application displaying the region ofthe map. The building and roads are still illustrated in 3D, however,the building are not are not as tall as in stage 2310. Furthermore,stage 2310 illustrates the virtual camera 2320 at a new perspectiveposition pointing downwards towards the 3D map at a larger angle withrespect to the horizon than in stage 2305 (that is still less than 90degrees). The scene flattening is accomplished by the virtual camera2320 raising and increasing the viewing angle with respect to thehorizon. Rendering the 3D map view using the virtual camera 2320positioned at this angle results in the 3D map view 2310 in which thebuildings and the roads are shorter and narrower than their illustrationin the first map view 2305 in the first stage. As indicated by thedashed-line arc 2340, the virtual camera 2320 moved upwards along arc2340 while tilting (e.g., pitching) farther down. Furthermore, stage2310 illustrates the mapping application continuing to receive the dragof the compass control 2330 in the vertical direction downwards.

The third stage 2315 illustrates that the map scene has completelyflattened into a 2D mode, which is accomplished by the virtual camera2320 raising and increasing the viewing angle with respect to thehorizon. In particular, the virtual camera 2320 is now pointing directlydownwards towards the map scene 2325 at a perpendicular angle (e.g., 90degrees) with respect to the horizon. Rendering a map view using thevirtual camera 2320 positioned at this angle results in a 2D map view inwhich the buildings and the roads have now been flattened out. In someembodiments, a downward vertical drag may cause the mapping applicationto transition from a 2D to 3D mode and an upward vertical drag may causethe mapping application to transition from a 3D mode to a 2D mode. Inother embodiments, a user may specify a particular direction as apreference setting provided by the mapping application. In addition tousing the compass control to perform 2D/3D adjustments, the compasscontrol may also be used to rotate the region of the map being displayedby the mapping application.

B. Compass for Rotating Map View

The compass control can be used to rotate the region of the map beingdisplayed by the mapping application. FIG. 24 illustrates using thecompass control to rotate the map view. This example illustrated in thisfigure is provided in terms of three stages 2405-2415 of interactionswith the mapping application. For each stage, the figure alsoillustrates the virtual camera 2430 position for the particular stage inorder to conceptualize the position in the map scene 2435 from which thedevice renders the scene to generate the view of the map.

Stage 2405 illustrates the mapping application displaying a region of amap. The region includes three buildings and several roads. Furthermore,the compass control 2420 indicates that the user is facing south on themap (e.g., the colored portion of the compass control 2420 correspondingto north is pointed down). This stage also illustrates the mappingapplication receiving a select and drag of the compass control 2420 inthe horizontal direction by the location indicator 2425. This has theeffect of rotating the region of the map being displayed, which isillustrated by the rotation of the virtual camera 2430 (e.g., by 120degrees) over the map scene 2435. In this example, the virtual cameraand map were rotated by 120 degrees during the duration that the userdragged the compass control. In some embodiments, the map may rotate atdifferent rates. In particular, the rate of rotation is computed basedon the rate that the user performers the drag operation. For example, amap region will rotate at a faster rate if the user performs a fasthorizontal drag, and a slower rate if the user performs a slowerhorizontal drag. In some embodiments, the mapping application may changethe rate of rotation based on the duration of the drag operation. Forinstance, the mapping application may initially rotate the map at aslower rate of rotation and gradually increase the rate of rotation asthe duration of the drag operation increases.

In stage 2405, the user is dragging the lower portion of the compasscontrol to the right, which causes the mapping application to rotatecounter-clockwise. If the user had dragged the lower portion of thecompass control 2425 to the left, this would have rotated the map viewin a clock-wise manner. Furthermore, if the user had dragged the topportion of the compass control 2425 to the right, it would have causedthe map view to rotate in a clockwise manner and if the user had draggedthe top portion of the compass control to the left, it would have causedthe map view to rotate in a counter-clockwise manner.

Stage 2410 illustrates that the mapping application now displays theregion of the map after a rotation by 120 degrees. As such, the mapincludes the same 3 buildings displayed in stage 2405, but from adifferent rotated viewing angle. Furthermore, the orientation of thecompass control 2420 has changed to show the change in view on the map.Stage 2410 illustrates the user continuing to select and drag thecompass control 2420 in the horizontal direction to the right, whichcauses the mapping application to continue to rotate the region of themap being displayed. As illustrated, the virtual camera 2430 is alsocontinuing to rotate by another 120 degrees of the map scene 2435 forthe particular duration that the user performs the drag operation. Thisexample illustrates the mapping application rotating the map scene by120 degrees in both stages 2405 and 2410, which would occur in thesituation where the duration of the drag operations are identical. Inparticular, the map continuously rotates as the user drags theparticular compass control and stops rotating when the user releases theselection of the compass control. In some embodiments, the rate that themap rotates is based on the rate that the user performs the draggingwith the particular input device. For example, the rate that the usermoves the mouse in a particular direction determines the rate ofrotation of the compass control

Stage 2415 illustrates that the mapping application has now stoppedrotating the region of the map being displayed since the compass control2420 is no longer being dragged to the right. Likewise, the virtualcamera 2430 is no longer rotating over the map scene 2435. Stage 2415illustrates the mapping application displaying the region of the mapafter having rotated it by a total of 240 degrees (120 degrees betweenstage 2405 and 2410 and 120 degrees from stage 2410 to 2415) from thefirst stage 2405. The region of the map illustrates the three buildingsfrom a different view than in the previous stages 2410 and 2405.Furthermore, the compass control 2420 now indicates that the user isfacing a different direction (e.g., closer to the west).

By selecting and dragging the compass control in different directions, auser can navigate a region of the map being displayed by the mappingapplication. As described above, FIG. 14 illustrates that the compasscontrol can be used to transition between a 2D and 3D mode and FIG. 15illustrates that the compass control can be used to rotate the map viewto different directions. A user can interact with the compass control toeasily adjust the map view both between a 2D and 3D mode and to theirdesired viewpoint. FIG. 25 illustrates a user interacting with thecompass control to both transition between a 2D and 3D mode and torotate to a desired view of a region of a map. This example illustratedin this figure is provided in terms of four stages 2505-2520 ofinteractions with the mapping application.

Stage 2505 illustrates the mapping application displaying a region of amap that includes three buildings and several intersecting roads. Themapping application is also displaying various tools, including acompass control 2525 that provides both an indication of the directionfor north and an indication of whether the map view is in a 2D or a 3Dmode. As illustrated, the compass control 2525 is currently upright toindicate that the mapping application is in a 2D mode. Furthermore, thebuildings and roads are flat on the map and the 3D control icon 2530 isnot currently highlighted. Stage 2505 also illustrates the mappingapplication receiving a user selecting and dragging the compass control2525 with the location indicator 2535 in a vertical direction. Asdescribed in FIG. 22, when a user selects and drags the compass control2535 in a vertical direction, the map view transitions to a 3D mode (ora 2D mode if the application is already in a 3D mode and the verticaldirection is downward).

Stage 2510 illustrates the mapping application displaying the region ofthe map in a 3D mode. The three buildings now appear in three-dimension.Furthermore, the 3D control icon 2530 has been highlighted to indicatethat the map view is now in a 3D mode. Likewise, the compass control2535 has been flattened out to provide another indication of the 3Dmode. Stage 2510 illustrates the mapping application receiving anotherselect and drag of the compass control 2525 with the location indicator2535 being dragged in a horizontal direction. As described in FIG. 24,this horizontal dragging causes the mapping application to rotate theview of the map region.

Stage 2515 illustrates the mapping application now displaying the regionof the map after rotating to a new viewpoint. The same three buildingsthat were illustrated in the previous stage now appear at a differentangle. Furthermore, the compass control has rotated based on thedirection to the north. Stage 2515 illustrates that the user is nowselecting and dragging the compass control 2525 in the diagonaldirection downwards, which simultaneously rotates the region of the mapbeing displayed by the mapping application and transitions the map fromthe 3D to 2D modes. In particular, when the user drags the compasscontrol in a diagonal direction, the mapping application rotates the mapbased on the horizontal aspect of the diagonal drag and transitions themap between 2D and 3D based on the vertical aspect of the diagonal drag.

Stage 2520 illustrates the mapping application displaying the regionafter further rotating the region than in stage 2515. The compasscontrol 2525 indicates that the region of the map is now facing west.Furthermore, the mapping application has slightly transitioned the mapback towards the 2D mode as a result of the downward vertical draggingaspect of the diagonal drag in stage 2515, as illustrated by thebuildings appearing shorter and flattening towards the 2D mode.Furthermore, the user is no longer dragging the compass control 2525which has stopped both the rotation and transitioning of the region ofthe map being displayed by the mapping application. As such, this figureillustrates that the user can quickly obtain a desired view of a regionof a map by dragging the compass control in various directions to adjustboth the view of the map between a 3D and 2D perspective and rotatingthe map to a particular direction.

C. Compass to Reorient to North and Toggle 2D-3D

In some cases, applying various rotations to the map may result in a mapthat the user cannot quickly visually understand, due to beingaccustomed to north-up maps. Without an easy way to get back to north-uporientation (i.e., an orientation where the north direction is alignedwith the top of the device), some users may have difficulty interactingwith the map views. To solve this, the mapping application of someembodiments allows the user to select (e.g., via a mouse-click) thecompass control to restore a north-up orientation. Furthermore, the usermay select the compass control a second time (e.g., via a secondmouse-click) to transition from a 2D to a 3D mode (or a 3D to 2D mode).FIG. 26 illustrates using the compass control to restore a north-uporientation and to transition into a 3D mode. This example illustratedin this figure is provided in terms of three stages 2605-2615 ofinteractions with the mapping application. Furthermore, for each stage2605-2615 the figure also illustrates the position of a virtual camera2630 for the particular stage in order to conceptualize the position inthe map scene 2635 from which the device renders the scene to generatethe view of the map.

Stage 2605 illustrates the mapping application displaying a region ofthe map in a 2D mode. The region includes three buildings and variousintersecting roads. The compass control 2620 currently indicates thatthe mapping view is facing south. Likewise the virtual camera 2630 ispositioned directly over the map scene 2635. The top and bottom of thevirtual camera 2630 have also been labeled for explanatory purposes. Asorientated, the virtual camera 2630 is currently positioned such thatthe right side of the map scene 2635 corresponds to a south direction(as drawn in the figure, the right side of the map scene 2635corresponds to the top of the map as shown on the device, in order toshow the angle of the virtual camera 2630). Stage 2605 also illustratesthe mapping application receiving a user selection of the compasscontrol 2620 through a location indicator 2640 on the screen. After auser selects the compass control 2620 a first time, the mappingapplication restores a north-up orientation of the map.

Stage 2610 illustrates that the mapping application is now displayingthe region of the map in a north-up orientation, as indicated by thecolored portion of the compass control 2620. Likewise, the virtualcamera 2630 now indicates that the top and bottom of the virtual cameraare at opposite ends as from stage 2605 with the left-side of the mapscene 2635 corresponding to the top of the map as shown on the device.Stage 2610 illustrates the mapping application receiving a second userselection of the compass control 2620 through the location indicator2640. After receiving a second selection input, the compass control 2620causes the mapping application to transition to a 3D mode.

Stage 2615 illustrates the mapping application displaying a 3D mode ofthe region of the map. The three buildings and the roads on the map nowappear in three-dimension. Furthermore, the compass control 2620 hasbeen flattened out and shown in 3D on the screen to provide a furtherindication that the mapping application is now in 3D mode. Likewise, the3D control icon 2645 has been highlighted to indicate that the mappingapplication is in 3D mode. The corresponding virtual camera 2630 overthe map scene 2635 has moved downward along the dashed-arc 2660 to adiagonal angle. At this angle, the buildings appear in 3 dimension andare not flat on the screen.

The compass control can also be used to transition from a 3D mode backto a 2D mode. FIG. 27 illustrates using the compass control to restore anorth-up orientation and to transition from a 3D mode to a 2D mode. Thisexample illustrated in this figure is provided in terms of three stages2705-2715 of interactions with the mapping application. Furthermore, foreach stage 2705-2715 the figure also illustrates the virtual camera 2730position for the particular stage in order to conceptualize the positionin the map scene 2735 from which the device renders the scene togenerate the view of the map.

Stage 2705 illustrates the mapping application displaying a region ofthe map in a 3D mode. The region includes three buildings and variousintersecting roads displayed in three-dimensions. The compass control2720 currently indicates that the mapping view is facing south. Likewisethe virtual camera 2730 is positioned at an angle over the map scene2735. The top and bottom of the virtual camera 2730 have also beenlabeled for explanatory purposes. As orientated, the virtual camera 2730is currently positioned such that the right side of the map scene 2735corresponds to the top of the map as shown on the device. Stage 2705also illustrates the mapping application receiving a user selection ofthe compass control 2720 through a location indicator 2740 on thescreen. After a user selects the compass control 2725 a first time, themapping application restores a north-up orientation of the map.

Stage 2710 illustrates that the mapping application is now displayingthe region of the map in a north-up orientation, as indicated by thecolored portion of the compass control 2720 facing upwards. Likewise,the virtual camera 2730 now indicates that the virtual camera is at theopposite end of the map scene 2735 as from stage 2705. Now, the leftside of the map scene 2635 corresponds to the top of the map. Stage 2710illustrates the mapping application receiving a second user selection ofthe compass control 2720 through the location indicator 2740. Afterreceiving a second selection input, the compass control 2720 causes themap view to transition from the 3D mode to a 2D mode.

Stage 2715 illustrates the mapping application displaying a 2D mode ofthe region of the map. The three buildings and the roads on the map nowappear flat on the screen in two-dimensions. Furthermore, the compasscontrol 2720 is illustrated as upright and shown in 2D on the screen toprovide a further indication that the mapping application is back into a2D mode. Likewise, the 3D control icon 2745 is no longer highlighted toindicate that the mapping application is in 2D mode. The correspondingvirtual camera 2730 over the map scene 2735 has moved back to the top ofthe dashed-arc 2760 to a 90 degree angle with respect to the horizon. Byhaving the virtual camera 2730 at this angle directly above the mapscene 2735, the building and roads now appear flat on the screen in twodimensions. Note that the user may also select the 3D control 2745, insome embodiments, in order to toggle between a 2D and 3D presentation ofthe map. In particular, the user may select the 3D control 2745 with aninput device or through a shortcut hotkey. The 3D control provides aquick mechanism for transitioning between 2D and 3D in addition to thevarious other mechanisms that have been described.

In addition to using the compass control to navigate the map, a user mayalso use a combination of a location indicator control and a keypad tocontrol the navigation of the map region displayed by the mappingapplication. FIG. 28 illustrates a mechanism for changing the display ofthe map view using a combination of a keypad and the location indicator.This example illustrated in this figure is provided in terms of threestages 2805-2815 of interactions with the mapping application. Stages2805 and 2810 also illustrate a portion of keypad that is used tocontrol the mapping application.

The first stage 2805 illustrates the mapping application displaying aregion of a map in a 2D mode. The region includes three buildings andseveral intersecting roads. The compass control 2825 currently indicatesthat map faces south. In this stage, the user is selecting with thelocation indicator 2830 a particular area of the map and moving thelocation indicator in a vertical direction. Furthermore, as the usermoves the location indicator 2830 upwards on the map, the user isconcurrently selecting and holding the “Alt” key on the keypad 2820.This causes the mapping application to transition the map from the 2Dmode to a 3D mode. Selecting and dragging the compass control 2825 in avertical direction could also produce this operation. In someembodiments, if the user were to select and drag the map without holdingthe “Alt” key, the mapping application would drag the region of the mapbeing displayed according to the particular movement of the inputdevice. For example, dragging the map would be one mechanism for movingto and displaying different regions of the map.

Stage 2810 illustrates that the mapping application is now displayingthe region of the map in 3D mode. The three buildings now appear inthree-dimensions. Furthermore, both the compass control 2825 and the 3Dicon 2840 now indicate that the mapping application is in 3D mode. Byholding the “Alt” key on the keypad 2820 and dragging the locationindicator vertically on the map, the user has effectively performed thesame operation as described in FIG. 22 above with respect to draggingthe compass control 2825 in a vertical direction. The user can alsocause the mapping application to rotate the map region being displayedin a similar manner as described in FIG. 24, using a combination of thekeypad and location indicator controls.

Stage 2810 illustrates that the user has selected the “Alt” key on thekeypad and concurrently dragging the location indicator 2830 in ahorizontal direction. This causes the mapping application to rotate theregion of the map being displayed by the mapping application. Stage 2815illustrates the mapping application displaying the region of the mapfrom a different rotated vantage point from stage 2810. The compasscontrol 2825 has also been rotated from its position in stage 2810. Theuser may use different mechanisms for applying the same operationswithin the mapping application. FIG. 28 illustrates the use of both akeypad and the location indicator to control the viewing rotation andangle of a particular map region. In some embodiments, the user maycontrol the map region using different combinations of keypad andlocation indicator movements. For example, the user may customizedifferent keys on their keypad to correspond to different operations.

FIG. 29 conceptually illustrates a state diagram 2900 that describesdifferent states and transitions between these states for the compasscontrol of the mapping application of some embodiments (e.g., theapplication described in the above sections). One of ordinary skill inthe art will recognize that the application of some embodiments willhave many different states related to all different types of inputevents, and the state diagram 2900 is specifically focused on a subsetof these events. The state diagram 2900 describes and refers to varioususer input (e.g., select, vertical drag, horizontal drag, etc.) on thecompass control for changing states of the application. One of ordinaryskill in the art will recognize that various devices, such astouch-screen gestural input, keyboard input, touchpad/track pad input,etc., may be used for providing similar selection and/or dragoperations.

In some embodiments, when a user initially opens the mappingapplication, the mapping application is in state 2905, which is a 2Dnorth-up map browsing state. In this state, the mapping applicationdisplays a region of the map in a two dimensional mode. Furthermore, themapping application displays the region of the map such that the top ofthe map faces north. In some embodiments, the mapping application isdisplayed on a device with that receives user input through variousinput devices, including any combination of a mouse, a trackpad, and akeypad. When the mapping application receives a user input on thecompass control, the application may transition to various differentstates depending on the type of input.

In state 2905, when the mapping application receives a selection input(e.g., via a mouse-click) of the compass control, the mappingapplication transitions from state 2905 to state 2910 to animate atransition of the map from a 2D to 3D mode. The animation animates theregion of map raising from the ground, as described above in FIG. 22.After the mapping application performs the animation, the mappingapplication transitions to state 2915 and displays the map in a 3D modewith a north-up orientation.

From state 2905, when the mapping receives a selection and subsequentvertical drag of the compass control in an upward direction, the mappingapplication transitions from state 2905 to state 2920 to animate atransition of the map from a 2D to 3D mode. The animation animates theregion of map raising from the ground, as described above in FIG. 22.The animation continues for as long as the user performs the upwarddragging of the compass control, until the user reaches a minimum anglebetween the virtual camera and the ground. When the compass control isno longer being dragged, or the minimum virtual camera angle is reached,the mapping application transitions to state 2915 and displays the mapin the 3D mode with a north-up orientation. The animation state 2920differs from the state 2910 in that the animation stopping point isdefined based for the state 2910, but dependent on the user input forthe state 2920. In addition, while in the state 2915, the mappingapplication can transition back to state 2920 if a vertical drag upwardsis received and the minimum virtual camera angle for viewing the map hasnot been reached.

From state 2905, when the mapping application receives a selection andsubsequent horizontal drag of the compass control, the mappingapplication transitions from state 2905 to state 2925 to animate arotation of the map. The animation animates the region of map rotating,as described above in FIG. 24. The animation continues for as long asthe user performs the horizontal dragging of the compass control. Whenthe compass control is no longer being dragged and the map is in anon-north-up orientation (i.e., not facing north), the mappingapplication transitions to state 2930 and displays the map in the 2Dmode with a non-north-up orientation (i.e., the orientation of the mapwhen the rotation stopped). When the user stops dragging the compasscontrol with the map in a north-up orientation (i.e., facing north), themapping application transitions back to state 2905 and displays the mapin the 2D mode with a north-up orientation.

From state 2915, when the mapping application is in the 3D north-updisplay state and the compass control receives a vertical drag in thedownward direction, the mapping application transitions from state 2915to state 2935 to animate a transition of the map from a 3D to 2D mode.The animation animates the region of map flattening into the ground, asdescribed above in FIG. 23 (i.e., by moving a virtual camera in an arcupwards). The animation continues for as long as the user performs thedownward dragging of the compass control. When the mapping applicationhas reached a 2D mode (i.e., the virtual camera reaches a 90° angle withthe map), the mapping application transitions to state 2905 and displaysthe map in the 2D mode with a north-up orientation. When the compasscontrol is no longer being dragged and the mapping application is stillin a 3D mode (because the virtual camera has not reached the 90° angle),the mapping application transitions back to state 2915 and displays themap in the 3D mode with a north-up orientation.

From state 2915, when the mapping application is in the 3D north-updisplay state and the mapping application receives a selection input(e.g., via a mouse-click) of the compass control, the mappingapplication transitions from state 2915 to state 2940 to animate atransition of the map from a 3D to 2D mode. The animation animates theregion of map flattening back into the ground, as described above inFIG. 23. In this case, unlike the state 2935, the animation will alwayscomplete the transition to 2D mode. After the mapping applicationperforms the animation, the mapping application transitions to state2905 and displays the map in a 2D mode with a north-up orientation.

From state 2915, when the mapping application receives a selection andsubsequent horizontal drag of the compass control, the mappingapplication transitions from state 2915 to state 2945 to animate arotation of the map. The animation animates the region of map rotating,as described above in FIG. 24. The animation continues for as long asthe user performs the horizontal dragging of the compass control. Whenthe compass control is no longer being dragged and the map is in anon-north-up orientation (i.e., not facing north), the mappingapplication transitions to state 2950 and displays the map in the 3Dmode with a non-north-up orientation. When the compass control is nolonger being dragged and the map is in a north-up orientation (i.e.,facing north), the mapping application transitions back to state 2915and displays the map in the 3D mode with a north-up orientation.

From state 2930, when the mapping application receives a selection ofthe compass control, the mapping application transitions from state 2930to state 2955 to animate a rotation of the map. The animation animatesthe region of map rotating until the map reaches a north-up orientation,as described above in stages 2605 and 2610 of FIG. 26. After reaching anorth-up orientation, the mapping application transitions to state 2905and displays the map in the 2D mode with a north-up orientation. In someembodiments, the map automatically rotates in a specific one of aclockwise or counter-clockwise direction (i.e., always in the samedirection). In other embodiments, the map rotates in whichever directionwill cause the map to reach a north-up orientation more quickly.

In state 2930, when the mapping application receives a selection andsubsequent horizontal drag of the compass control, the mappingapplication transitions from state 2930 to state 2925 to animate arotation of the map. The animation animates the region of map rotating,as described above in FIG. 24. The animation continues for as long asthe user performs the horizontal dragging of the compass control. Whenthe compass control is no longer being dragged and the map is in anon-north-up orientation (i.e., not facing north), the mappingapplication transitions back to state 2930 and displays the map in the2D mode with a non-north-up orientation (i.e., the orientation of themap when the rotation stopped). When the user stops dragging the compasscontrol with the map in a north-up orientation (i.e., facing north), themapping application transitions to state 2905 and displays the map inthe 2D mode with a north-up orientation.

From state 2930, when the mapping application receives a selection andsubsequent vertical drag of the compass control in an upward direction,the mapping application transitions from state 2930 to state 2960 toanimate a transition of the map from a 2D to 3D mode. The animationanimates the region of map raising from the ground, as described abovein FIG. 22. The animation continues for as long as the user performs theupward dragging of the compass control, until the user reaches a minimumangle between the virtual camera and the ground. When the compasscontrol is no longer being dragged, or the minimum virtual camera angleis reached, the mapping application transitions to state 2950 anddisplays the map in the 3D mode with a non-north-up orientation. Whilein the state 2950, the mapping application can transition back to state2960 if a vertical drag upwards is received and the minimum virtualcamera angle for viewing the map has not been reached.

From state 2950, when the mapping application is in the 3D non-north-updisplay state and receives a selection input (e.g., via a mouse-click)of the compass control, the mapping application transitions from state2950 to state 2965 to animate a rotation of the map. The animationanimates the region of map rotating until the map reaches a north-uporientation, as described above in stages 2705 and 2710 of FIG. 27.After reaching a north-up orientation, the mapping applicationtransitions to state 2915 and displays the map in the 3D mode with anorth-up orientation. In some embodiments, the map automatically rotatesin a specific one of a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction (i.e.,always in the same direction). In other embodiments, the map rotates inwhichever direction will cause the map to reach a north-up orientationmore quickly.

From state 2950, when the mapping application receives a selection andsubsequent horizontal drag of the compass control, the mappingapplication transitions from state 2950 to state 2945 to animate arotation of the map. The animation animates the region of map rotating,as described above in FIG. 24. The animation continues for as long asthe user performs the horizontal dragging of the compass control. Whenthe compass control is no longer being dragged and the map is in anon-north-up orientation (i.e., not facing north), the mappingapplication transitions back to state 2950 and displays the map in the3D mode with a non-north-up orientation (i.e., the orientation of themap when the rotation stopped). When the user stops dragging the compasscontrol with the map in a north-up orientation (i.e., facing north), themapping application transitions to state 2915 and displays the map inthe 3D mode with a north-up orientation.

From state 2950, when the mapping application is in the 3D non-north-updisplay state and the compass control receives a vertical drag in thedownward direction, the mapping application transitions from state 2950to state 2970 to animate a transition of the map from a 3D to 2D mode.The animation animates the region of map flattening into the ground, asdescribed above in FIG. 23 (i.e. by moving a virtual camera in an arcupwards). The animation continues for as long as the user performs thedownward dragging of the compass control. When the mapping applicationhas reached a 2D mode (i.e., the virtual camera reaches a 90° angle withthe map), the mapping application transitions to state 2930 and displaysthe map in the 2D mode with a non-north-up orientation. When the compasscontrol is no longer being dragged and the mapping application is stillin a 3D mode (because the virtual camera has not reached the 90° angle),the mapping application transitions back to state 2950 and displays themap in the 3D mode with a non-north-up orientation.

The state diagram 2900 illustrates changing between different statesbased on input received as either a horizontal drag or a vertical dragof the compass control. In particular, the horizontal drag determinesthe rotation of the map and the vertical drag determines thetransitioning of the map between 2D and 3D modes. One of ordinary skillin the art will recognize that in some embodiments, a diagonal drag mayresult in a combined rotating and transitioning of the map. Inparticular, in some embodiments, when the mapping application receives adiagonal drag, the mapping application computes a horizontal drag valueand a vertical drag value for the diagonal drag, and these valuesdetermine the particular rotation and transitioning effects tosimultaneously apply to the map for the particular drag. As such, themapping application will include states for rotating and transitioningfrom 2D to 3D (or vice versa) simultaneously.

IV. Electronic System

Many of the above-described features and applications are implemented assoftware processes that are specified as a set of instructions recordedon a computer readable storage medium (also referred to as computerreadable medium). When these instructions are executed by one or morecomputational or processing unit(s) (e.g., one or more processors, coresof processors, or other processing units), they cause the processingunit(s) to perform the actions indicated in the instructions. Examplesof computer readable media include, but are not limited to, CD-ROMs,flash drives, random access memory (RAM) chips, hard drives, erasableprogrammable read-only memories (EPROMs), electrically erasableprogrammable read-only memories (EEPROMs), etc. The computer readablemedia does not include carrier waves and electronic signals passingwirelessly or over wired connections.

In this specification, the term “software” is meant to include firmwareresiding in read-only memory or applications stored in magnetic storagewhich can be read into memory for processing by a processor. Also, insome embodiments, multiple software inventions can be implemented assub-parts of a larger program while remaining distinct softwareinventions. In some embodiments, multiple software inventions can alsobe implemented as separate programs. Finally, any combination ofseparate programs that together implement a software invention describedhere is within the scope of the invention. In some embodiments, thesoftware programs, when installed to operate on one or more electronicsystems, define one or more specific machine implementations thatexecute and perform the operations of the software programs.

A. Mobile Device

The mapping and navigation applications of some embodiments operate onmobile devices, such as smart phones (e.g., iPhones®) and tablets (e.g.,iPads®). FIG. 30 is an example of an architecture 3000 of such a mobilecomputing device. Examples of mobile computing devices includesmartphones, tablets, laptops, etc. As shown, the mobile computingdevice 3000 includes one or more processing units 3005, a memoryinterface 3010 and a peripherals interface 3015.

The peripherals interface 3015 is coupled to various sensors andsubsystems, including a camera subsystem 3020, a wireless communicationsubsystem(s) 3025, an audio subsystem 3030, an I/O subsystem 3035, etc.The peripherals interface 3015 enables communication between theprocessing units 3005 and various peripherals. For example, anorientation sensor 3045 (e.g., a gyroscope) and an acceleration sensor3050 (e.g., an accelerometer) is coupled to the peripherals interface3015 to facilitate orientation and acceleration functions.

The camera subsystem 3020 is coupled to one or more optical sensors 3040(e.g., a charged coupled device (CCD) optical sensor, a complementarymetal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) optical sensor, etc.). The camerasubsystem 3020 coupled with the optical sensors 3040 facilitates camerafunctions, such as image and/or video data capturing. The wirelesscommunication subsystem 3025 serves to facilitate communicationfunctions. In some embodiments, the wireless communication subsystem3025 includes radio frequency receivers and transmitters, and opticalreceivers and transmitters (not shown in FIG. 30). These receivers andtransmitters of some embodiments are implemented to operate over one ormore communication networks such as a GSM network, a Wi-Fi network, aBluetooth network, etc. The audio subsystem 3030 is coupled to a speakerto output audio (e.g., to output voice navigation instructions).Additionally, the audio subsystem 3030 is coupled to a microphone tofacilitate voice-enabled functions, such as voice recognition (e.g., forsearching), digital recording, etc.

The I/O subsystem 3035 involves the transfer between input/outputperipheral devices, such as a display, a touch screen, etc., and thedata bus of the processing units 3005 through the peripherals interface3015. The I/O subsystem 3035 includes a touch-screen controller 3055 andother input controllers 3060 to facilitate the transfer betweeninput/output peripheral devices and the data bus of the processing units3005. As shown, the touch-screen controller 3055 is coupled to a touchscreen 3065. The touch-screen controller 3055 detects contact andmovement on the touch screen 3065 using any of multiple touchsensitivity technologies. The other input controllers 3060 are coupledto other input/control devices, such as one or more buttons. Someembodiments include a near-touch sensitive screen and a correspondingcontroller that can detect near-touch interactions instead of or inaddition to touch interactions.

The memory interface 3010 is coupled to memory 3070. In someembodiments, the memory 3070 includes volatile memory (e.g., high-speedrandom access memory), non-volatile memory (e.g., flash memory), acombination of volatile and non-volatile memory, and/or any other typeof memory. As illustrated in FIG. 30, the memory 3070 stores anoperating system (OS) 3072. The OS 3072 includes instructions forhandling basic system services and for performing hardware dependenttasks.

The memory 3070 also includes communication instructions 3074 tofacilitate communicating with one or more additional devices; graphicaluser interface instructions 3076 to facilitate graphic user interfaceprocessing; image processing instructions 3078 to facilitateimage-related processing and functions; input processing instructions3080 to facilitate input-related (e.g., touch input) processes andfunctions; audio processing instructions 3082 to facilitateaudio-related processes and functions; and camera instructions 3084 tofacilitate camera-related processes and functions. The instructionsdescribed above are merely exemplary and the memory 3070 includesadditional and/or other instructions in some embodiments. For instance,the memory for a smartphone may include phone instructions to facilitatephone-related processes and functions. Additionally, the memory mayinclude instructions for a mapping and navigation application as well asother applications. The above-identified instructions need not beimplemented as separate software programs or modules. Various functionsof the mobile computing device can be implemented in hardware and/or insoftware, including in one or more signal processing and/or applicationspecific integrated circuits.

While the components illustrated in FIG. 30 are shown as separatecomponents, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that two ormore components may be integrated into one or more integrated circuits.In addition, two or more components may be coupled together by one ormore communication buses or signal lines. Also, while many of thefunctions have been described as being performed by one component, oneof ordinary skill in the art will realize that the functions describedwith respect to FIG. 30 may be split into two or more integratedcircuits.

B. Computer System

FIG. 31 conceptually illustrates another example of an electronic system3100 with which some embodiments of the invention are implemented. Theelectronic system 3100 may be a computer (e.g., a desktop computer,personal computer, tablet computer, etc.), phone, PDA, or any other sortof electronic or computing device. Such an electronic system includesvarious types of computer readable media and interfaces for variousother types of computer readable media. Electronic system 3100 includesa bus 3105, processing unit(s) 3110, a graphics processing unit (GPU)3115, a system memory 3120, a network 3125, a read-only memory 3130, apermanent storage device 3135, input devices 3140, and output devices3145.

The bus 3105 collectively represents all system, peripheral, and chipsetbuses that communicatively connect the numerous internal devices of theelectronic system 3100. For instance, the bus 3105 communicativelyconnects the processing unit(s) 3110 with the read-only memory 3130, theGPU 3115, the system memory 3120, and the permanent storage device 3135.

From these various memory units, the processing unit(s) 3110 retrievesinstructions to execute and data to process in order to execute theprocesses of the invention. The processing unit(s) may be a singleprocessor or a multi-core processor in different embodiments. Someinstructions are passed to and executed by the GPU 3115. The GPU 3115can offload various computations or complement the image processingprovided by the processing unit(s) 3110. In some embodiments, suchfunctionality can be provided using CoreImage's kernel shading language.

The read-only-memory (ROM) 3130 stores static data and instructions thatare needed by the processing unit(s) 3110 and other modules of theelectronic system. The permanent storage device 3135, on the other hand,is a read-and-write memory device. This device is a non-volatile memoryunit that stores instructions and data even when the electronic system3100 is off. Some embodiments of the invention use a mass-storage device(such as a magnetic or optical disk and its corresponding disk drive,integrated flash memory) as the permanent storage device 3135.

Other embodiments use a removable storage device (such as a floppy disk,flash memory device, etc., and its corresponding drive) as the permanentstorage device. Like the permanent storage device 3135, the systemmemory 3120 is a read-and-write memory device. However, unlike storagedevice 3135, the system memory 3120 is a volatile read-and-write memory,such a random access memory. The system memory 3120 stores some of theinstructions and data that the processor needs at runtime. In someembodiments, the invention's processes are stored in the system memory3120, the permanent storage device 3135, and/or the read-only memory3130. For example, the various memory units include instructions forprocessing multimedia clips in accordance with some embodiments. Fromthese various memory units, the processing unit(s) 3110 retrievesinstructions to execute and data to process in order to execute theprocesses of some embodiments.

The bus 3105 also connects to the input and output devices 3140 and3145. The input devices 3140 enable the user to communicate informationand select commands to the electronic system. The input devices 3140include alphanumeric keyboards and pointing devices (also called “cursorcontrol devices”), cameras (e.g., webcams), microphones or similardevices for receiving voice commands, etc. The output devices 3145display images generated by the electronic system or otherwise outputdata. The output devices 3145 include printers and display devices, suchas cathode ray tubes (CRT) or liquid crystal displays (LCD), as well asspeakers or similar audio output devices. Some embodiments includedevices such as a touchscreen that function as both input and outputdevices.

Finally, as shown in FIG. 31, bus 3105 also couples electronic system3100 to a network 3125 through a network adapter (not shown). In thismanner, the computer can be a part of a network of computers (such as alocal area network (“LAN”), a wide area network (“WAN”), or anIntranet), or a network of networks, such as the Internet. Any or allcomponents of electronic system 3100 may be used in conjunction with theinvention.

Some embodiments include electronic components, such as microprocessors,storage and memory that store computer program instructions in amachine-readable or computer-readable medium (alternatively referred toas computer-readable storage media, machine-readable media, ormachine-readable storage media). Some examples of such computer-readablemedia include RAM, ROM, read-only compact discs (CD-ROM), recordablecompact discs (CD-R), rewritable compact discs (CD-RW), read-onlydigital versatile discs (e.g., DVD-ROM, dual-layer DVD-ROM), a varietyof recordable/rewritable DVDs (e.g., DVD-RAM, DVD-RW, DVD+RW, etc.),flash memory (e.g., SD cards, mini-SD cards, micro-SD cards, etc.),magnetic and/or solid state hard drives, read-only and recordableBlu-Ray® discs, ultra density optical discs, any other optical ormagnetic media, and floppy disks. The computer-readable media may storea computer program that is executable by at least one processing unitand includes sets of instructions for performing various operations.Examples of computer programs or computer code include machine code,such as is produced by a compiler, and files including higher-level codethat are executed by a computer, an electronic component, or amicroprocessor using an interpreter.

While the above discussion primarily refers to microprocessor ormulti-core processors that execute software, some embodiments areperformed by one or more integrated circuits, such as applicationspecific integrated circuits (ASICs) or field programmable gate arrays(FPGAs). In some embodiments, such integrated circuits executeinstructions that are stored on the circuit itself. In addition, someembodiments execute software stored in programmable logic devices(PLDs), ROM, or RAM devices.

As used in this specification and any claims of this application, theterms “computer”, “server”, “processor”, and “memory” all refer toelectronic or other technological devices. These terms exclude people orgroups of people. For the purposes of the specification, the termsdisplay or displaying means displaying on an electronic device. As usedin this specification and any claims of this application, the terms“computer readable medium,” “computer readable media,” and “machinereadable medium” are entirely restricted to tangible, physical objectsthat store information in a form that is readable by a computer. Theseterms exclude any wireless signals, wired download signals, and anyother ephemeral signals.

V. Map Service Environment

Various embodiments may operate within a map service operatingenvironment. FIG. 32 illustrates a map service operating environment,according to some embodiments. A map service 3230 (also referred to asmapping service) may provide map services for one or more client devices3202 a-3202 c in communication with the map service 3230 through variouscommunication methods and protocols. A map service 3230 in someembodiments provides map information and other map-related data, such astwo-dimensional map image data (e.g., aerial view of roads utilizingsatellite imagery), three-dimensional map image data (e.g., traversablemap with three-dimensional features, such as buildings), route anddirection calculations (e.g., ferry route calculations or directionsbetween two points for a pedestrian), real-time navigation data (e.g.,turn-by-turn visual navigation data in two or three dimensions),location data (e.g., where the client device currently is located), andother geographic data (e.g., wireless network coverage, weather, trafficinformation, or nearby points-of-interest). In various embodiments, themap service data may include localized labels for different countries orregions. Localized labels may be utilized to present map labels (e.g.,street names, city names, points of interest) in different languages onclient devices. Client devices 3202 a-3202 c may utilize these mapservices by obtaining map service data. Client devices 3202 a-3202 c mayimplement various techniques to process map service data. Client devices3202 a-3202 c may then provide map services to various entities,including, but not limited to, users, internal software or hardwaremodules, and/or other systems or devices external to the client devices3202 a-3202 c.

In some embodiments, a map service is implemented by one or more nodesin a distributed computing system. Each node may be assigned one or moreservices or components of a map service. Some nodes may be assigned thesame map service or component of a map service. A load balancing node insome embodiments distributes access or requests to other nodes within amap service. In some embodiments a map service is implemented as asingle system, such as a single server. Different modules or hardwaredevices within a server may implement one or more of the variousservices provided by a map service.

A map service in some embodiments provides map services by generatingmap service data in various formats. In some embodiments, one format ofmap service data is map image data. Map image data provides image datato a client device so that the client device may process the image data(e.g., rendering and/or displaying the image data as a two-dimensionalor three-dimensional map). Map image data, whether in two or threedimensions, may specify one or more map tiles. A map tile may be aportion of a larger map image. Assembling together the map tiles of amap produces the original map. Tiles may be generated from map imagedata, routing or navigation data, or any other map service data. In someembodiments map tiles are raster-based map tiles, with tile sizesranging from any size both larger and smaller than a commonly-used 256pixel by 256 pixel tile. Raster-based map tiles may be encoded in anynumber of standard digital image representations including, but notlimited to, Bitmap (.bmp), Graphics Interchange Format (.gif), JointPhotographic Experts Group (.jpg, .jpeg, etc.), Portable NetworksGraphic (.png), or Tagged Image File Format (.tiff). In someembodiments, map tiles are vector-based map tiles, encoded using vectorgraphics, including, but not limited to, Scalable Vector Graphics (.svg)or a Drawing File (.drw). Some embodiments also include tiles with acombination of vector and raster data. Metadata or other informationpertaining to the map tile may also be included within or along with amap tile, providing further map service data to a client device. Invarious embodiments, a map tile is encoded for transport utilizingvarious standards and/or protocols, some of which are described inexamples below.

In various embodiments, map tiles may be constructed from image data ofdifferent resolutions depending on zoom level. For instance, for lowzoom level (e.g., world or globe view), the resolution of map or imagedata need not be as high relative to the resolution at a high zoom level(e.g., city or street level). For example, when in a globe view, theremay be no need to render street level artifacts as such objects would beso small as to be negligible in many cases.

A map service in some embodiments performs various techniques to analyzea map tile before encoding the tile for transport. This analysis mayoptimize map service performance for both client devices and a mapservice. In some embodiments map tiles are analyzed for complexity,according to vector-based graphic techniques, and constructed utilizingcomplex and non-complex layers. Map tiles may also be analyzed forcommon image data or patterns that may be rendered as image textures andconstructed by relying on image masks. In some embodiments, raster-basedimage data in a map tile contains certain mask values, which areassociated with one or more textures. Some embodiments also analyze maptiles for specified features that may be associated with certain mapstyles that contain style identifiers.

Other map services generate map service data relying upon various dataformats separate from a map tile in some embodiments. For instance, mapservices that provide location data may utilize data formats conformingto location service protocols, such as, but not limited to, RadioResource Location services Protocol (RRLP), TIA 801 for Code DivisionMultiple Access (CDMA), Radio Resource Control (RRC) position protocol,or LTE Positioning Protocol (LPP). Embodiments may also receive orrequest data from client devices identifying device capabilities orattributes (e.g., hardware specifications or operating system version)or communication capabilities (e.g., device communication bandwidth asdetermined by wireless signal strength or wired or wireless networktype).

A map service may obtain map service data from internal or externalsources. For example, satellite imagery used in map image data may beobtained from external services, or internal systems, storage devices,or nodes. Other examples may include, but are not limited to, GPSassistance servers, wireless network coverage databases, business orpersonal directories, weather data, government information (e.g.,construction updates or road name changes), or traffic reports. Someembodiments of a map service may update map service data (e.g., wirelessnetwork coverage) for analyzing future requests from client devices.

Various embodiments of a map service respond to client device requestsfor map services. These requests may be a request for a specific map orportion of a map. Some embodiments format requests for a map as requestsfor certain map tiles. In some embodiments, requests also supply the mapservice with starting locations (or current locations) and destinationlocations for a route calculation. A client device may also request mapservice rendering information, such as map textures or style sheets. Inat least some embodiments, requests are also one of a series of requestsimplementing turn-by-turn navigation. Requests for other geographic datamay include, but are not limited to, current location, wireless networkcoverage, weather, traffic information, or nearby points-of-interest.

A map service, in some embodiments, analyzes client device requests tooptimize a device or map service operation. For instance, a map servicemay recognize that the location of a client device is in an area of poorcommunications (e.g., weak wireless signal) and send more map servicedata to supply a client device in the event of loss in communication orsend instructions to utilize different client hardware (e.g.,orientation sensors) or software (e.g., utilize wireless locationservices or Wi-Fi positioning instead of GPS-based services). In anotherexample, a map service may analyze a client device request forvector-based map image data and determine that raster-based map databetter optimizes the map image data according to the image's complexity.Embodiments of other map services may perform similar analysis on clientdevice requests and as such the above examples are not intended to belimiting.

Various embodiments of client devices (e.g., client devices 3202 a-3202c) are implemented on different portable-multifunction device types.Client devices 3202 a-3202 c utilize map service 3230 through variouscommunication methods and protocols. In some embodiments, client devices3202 a-3202 c obtain map service data from map service 3230. Clientdevices 3202 a-3202 c request or receive map service data. Clientdevices 3202 a-3202 c then process map service data (e.g., render and/ordisplay the data) and may send the data to another software or hardwaremodule on the device or to an external device or system.

A client device, according to some embodiments, implements techniques torender and/or display maps. These maps may be requested or received invarious formats, such as map tiles described above. A client device mayrender a map in two-dimensional or three-dimensional views. Someembodiments of a client device display a rendered map and allow a user,system, or device providing input to manipulate a virtual camera in themap, changing the map display according to the virtual camera'sposition, orientation, and field-of-view. Various forms and inputdevices are implemented to manipulate a virtual camera. In someembodiments, touch input, through certain single or combination gestures(e.g., touch-and-hold or a swipe) manipulate the virtual camera. Otherembodiments allow manipulation of the device's physical location tomanipulate a virtual camera. For instance, a client device may be tiltedup from its current position to manipulate the virtual camera to rotateup. In another example, a client device may be tilted forward from itscurrent position to move the virtual camera forward. Other input devicesto the client device may be implemented including, but not limited to,auditory input (e.g., spoken words), a physical keyboard, mouse, and/ora joystick.

Some embodiments provide various visual feedback to virtual cameramanipulations, such as displaying an animation of possible virtualcamera manipulations when transitioning from two-dimensional map viewsto three-dimensional map views. Some embodiments also allow input toselect a map feature or object (e.g., a building) and highlight theobject, producing a blur effect that maintains the virtual camera'sperception of three-dimensional space.

In some embodiments, a client device implements a navigation system(e.g., turn-by-turn navigation). A navigation system provides directionsor route information, which may be displayed to a user. Some embodimentsof a client device request directions or a route calculation from a mapservice. A client device may receive map image data and route data froma map service. In some embodiments, a client device implements aturn-by-turn navigation system, which provides real-time route anddirection information based upon location information and routeinformation received from a map service and/or other location system,such as a Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) system. A client device maydisplay map image data that reflects the current location of the clientdevice and update the map image data in real-time. A navigation systemmay provide auditory or visual directions to follow a certain route.

A virtual camera is implemented to manipulate navigation map dataaccording to some embodiments. Some embodiments of client devices allowthe device to adjust the virtual camera display orientation to biastoward the route destination. Some embodiments also allow the virtualcamera to navigation turns simulating the inertial motion of the virtualcamera.

Client devices implement various techniques to utilize map service datafrom map service. Some embodiments implement some techniques to optimizerendering of two-dimensional and three-dimensional map image data. Insome embodiments, a client device locally stores rendering information.For instance, a client stores a style sheet which provides renderingdirections for image data containing style identifiers. In anotherexample, common image textures may be stored to decrease the amount ofmap image data transferred from a map service. Client devices indifferent embodiments implement various modeling techniques to rendertwo-dimensional and three-dimensional map image data, examples of whichinclude, but are not limited to: generating three-dimensional buildingsout of two-dimensional building footprint data; modeling two-dimensionaland three-dimensional map objects to determine the client devicecommunication environment; generating models to determine whether maplabels are seen from a certain virtual camera position; and generatingmodels to smooth transitions between map image data. In someembodiments, the client devices also order or prioritize map servicedata in certain techniques. For instance, a client device detects themotion or velocity of a virtual camera, which if exceeding certainthreshold values, lower-detail image data is loaded and rendered forcertain areas. Other examples include: rendering vector-based curves asa series of points, preloading map image data for areas of poorcommunication with a map service, adapting textures based on displayzoom level, or rendering map image data according to complexity.

In some embodiments, client devices communicate utilizing various dataformats separate from a map tile. For instance, some client devicesimplement Assisted Global Positioning Satellites (A-GPS) and communicatewith location services that utilize data formats conforming to locationservice protocols, such as, but not limited to, Radio Resource Locationservices Protocol (RRLP), TIA 801 for Code Division Multiple Access(CDMA), Radio Resource Control (RRC) position protocol, or LTEPositioning Protocol (LPP). Client devices may also receive GPS signalsdirectly. Embodiments may also send data, with or without solicitationfrom a map service, identifying the client device's capabilities orattributes (e.g., hardware specifications or operating system version)or communication capabilities (e.g., device communication bandwidth asdetermined by wireless signal strength or wired or wireless networktype).

FIG. 32 illustrates one possible embodiment of an operating environment3200 for a map service 3230 and client devices 3202 a-3202 c. In someembodiments, devices 3202 a, 3202 b, and 3202 c communicate over one ormore wired or wireless networks 3210. For example, wireless network3210, such as a cellular network, can communicate with a wide areanetwork (WAN) 3220, such as the Internet, by use of gateway 3214. Agateway 3214 in some embodiments provides a packet oriented mobile dataservice, such as General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), or other mobiledata service allowing wireless networks to transmit data to othernetworks, such as wide area network 3220. Likewise, access device 3212(e.g., IEEE 802.11g wireless access device) provides communicationaccess to WAN 3220. Devices 3202 a and 3202 b can be any portableelectronic or computing device capable of communicating with a mapservice. Device 3202 c can be any non-portable electronic or computingdevice capable of communicating with a map service.

In some embodiments, both voice and data communications are establishedover wireless network 3210 and access device 3212. For instance, device3202 a can place and receive phone calls (e.g., using voice overInternet Protocol (VoIP) protocols), send and receive e-mail messages(e.g., using Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) or Post OfficeProtocol 3 (POP3)), and retrieve electronic documents and/or streams,such as web pages, photographs, and videos, over wireless network 3210,gateway 3214, and WAN 3220 (e.g., using Transmission ControlProtocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) or User Datagram Protocol (UDP)).Likewise, in some implementations, devices 3202 b and 3202 c can placeand receive phone calls, send and receive e-mail messages, and retrieveelectronic documents over access device 3212 and WAN 3220. In variousembodiments, any of the illustrated client devices may communicate withmap service 3230 and/or other service(s) 3250 using a persistentconnection established in accordance with one or more securityprotocols, such as the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol or theTransport Layer Security (TLS) protocol.

Devices 3202 a and 3202 b can also establish communications by othermeans. For example, wireless device 3202 a can communicate with otherwireless devices (e.g., other devices 3202 b, cell phones, etc.) overthe wireless network 3210. Likewise devices 3202 a and 3202 b canestablish peer-to-peer communications 3240 (e.g., a personal areanetwork) by use of one or more communication subsystems, such asBluetooth® communication from Bluetooth Special Interest Group, Inc. ofKirkland, Wash. Device 3202 c can also establish peer to peercommunications with devices 3202 a or 3202 b (not shown). Othercommunication protocols and topologies can also be implemented. Devices3202 a and 3202 b may also receive Global Positioning Satellite (GPS)signals from GPS satellites 3260.

Devices 3202 a, 3202 b, and 3202 c can communicate with map service 3230over one or more wire and/or wireless networks, 3210 or 3212. Forinstance, map service 3230 can provide map service data to renderingdevices 3202 a, 3202 b, and 3202 c. Map service 3230 may alsocommunicate with other services 3250 to obtain data to implement mapservices. Map service 3230 and other services 3250 may also receive GPSsignals from GPS satellites 3260.

In various embodiments, map service 3230 and/or other service(s) 3250are configured to process search requests from any of the clientdevices. Search requests may include but are not limited to queries forbusinesses, addresses, residential locations, points of interest, orsome combination thereof. Map service 3230 and/or other service(s) 3250may be configured to return results related to a variety of parametersincluding but not limited to a location entered into an address bar orother text entry field (including abbreviations and/or other shorthandnotation), a current map view (e.g., user may be viewing one location onthe multifunction device while residing in another location), currentlocation of the user (e.g., in cases where the current map view did notinclude search results), and the current route (if any). In variousembodiments, these parameters may affect the composition of the searchresults (and/or the ordering of the search results) based on differentpriority weightings. In various embodiments, the search results that arereturned may be a subset of results selected based on specific criteriaincluding but not limited to a quantity of times the search result(e.g., a particular point of interest) has been requested, a measure ofquality associated with the search result (e.g., highest user oreditorial review rating), and/or the volume of reviews for the searchresults (e.g., the number of times the search result has been review orrated).

In various embodiments, map service 3230 and/or other service(s) 3250are configured to provide auto-complete search results that aredisplayed on the client device, such as within the mapping application.For instance, auto-complete search results may populate a portion of thescreen as the user enters one or more search keywords on themultifunction device. In some cases, this feature may save the user timeas the desired search result may be displayed before the user enters thefull search query. In various embodiments, the auto complete searchresults may be search results found by the client on the client device(e.g., bookmarks or contacts), search results found elsewhere (e.g.,from the Internet) by map service 3230 and/or other service(s) 3250,and/or some combination thereof. As is the case with commands, any ofthe search queries may be entered by the user via voice or throughtyping. The multifunction device may be configured to display searchresults graphically within any of the map display described herein. Forinstance, a pin or other graphical indicator may specify locations ofsearch results as points of interest. In various embodiments, responsiveto a user selection of one of these points of interest (e.g., a touchselection, such as a tap), the multifunction device is configured todisplay additional information about the selected point of interestincluding but not limited to ratings, reviews or review snippets, hoursof operation, store status (e.g., open for business, permanently closed,etc.), and/or images of a storefront for the point of interest. Invarious embodiments, any of this information may be displayed on agraphical information card that is displayed in response to the user'sselection of the point of interest.

In various embodiments, map service 3230 and/or other service(s) 3250provide one or more feedback mechanisms to receive feedback from clientdevices 3202 a-3202 c. For instance, client devices may provide feedbackon search results to map service 3230 and/or other service(s) 3250(e.g., feedback specifying ratings, reviews, temporary or permanentbusiness closures, errors etc.); this feedback may be used to updateinformation about points of interest in order to provide more accurateor more up-to-date search results in the future. In some embodiments,map service 3230 and/or other service(s) 3250 may provide testinginformation to the client device (e.g., an A/B test) to determine whichsearch results are best. For instance, at random intervals, the clientdevice may receive and present two search results to a user and allowthe user to indicate the best result. The client device may report thetest results to map service 3230 and/or other service(s) 3250 to improvefuture search results based on the chosen testing technique, such as anA/B test technique in which a baseline control sample is compared to avariety of single-variable test samples in order to improve results.

While the invention has been described with reference to numerousspecific details, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize thatthe invention can be embodied in other specific forms without departingfrom the spirit of the invention. For instance, many of the figuresillustrate various touch gestures (e.g., taps, double taps, swipegestures, press and hold gestures, etc.). However, many of theillustrated operations could be performed via different touch gestures(e.g., a swipe instead of a tap, etc.) or by non-touch input (e.g.,using a cursor controller, a keyboard, a touchpad/trackpad, a near-touchsensitive screen, etc.). In addition, a number of the figuresconceptually illustrate processes. The specific operations of theseprocesses may not be performed in the exact order shown and described.The specific operations may not be performed in one continuous series ofoperations, and different specific operations may be performed indifferent embodiments. Furthermore, the process could be implementedusing several sub-processes, or as part of a larger macro process. Oneof ordinary skill in the art would understand that the invention is notto be limited by the foregoing illustrative details, but rather is to bedefined by the appended claims.

1. (canceled)
 2. A non-transitory machine readable medium storing amapping application for execution by at least one processing unit, themapping application comprising sets of instructions for: displaying oneof a two-dimensional (2D) presentation of a map or a three-dimensional(3D) presentation of the map at a given time; displaying a firstselectable control for receiving (i) a first type of input to rotate aview of the map from a first orientation to a second orientation and(ii) a second type of input to rotate the view of the map to the firstorientation; and displaying a second selectable control for receiving athird type of input to transition between the 2D presentation and the 3Dpresentation; wherein the 2D presentation comprises a first perspectiveof a virtual camera pointing downwards towards the 2D map from anoverhead view and the 3D presentation comprises a second perspective ofa virtual camera pointing towards the 3D map at an angle greater than 0degrees and less than 90 degrees above the horizon.
 3. Thenon-transitory machine readable medium of claim 2, wherein the mappingapplication further comprises sets of instructions for presenting ananimation on the map during a transition between the 2D presentation andthe 3D presentation.
 4. The non-transitory machine readable medium ofclaim 2, wherein the mapping application further comprises sets ofinstructions for presenting an animation on the map during a transitionbetween the 3D presentation and the 2D presentation.
 5. Thenon-transitory machine readable medium of claim 2, wherein the firsttype of input is a drag operation.
 6. The non-transitory machinereadable medium of claim 2, wherein the second type of input is a dragoperation.
 7. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 2,wherein the view of the map rotates at a computed rate after receivingthe first or second type of input.
 8. The non-transitory machinereadable medium of claim 2, wherein the view of the map transitionsbetween the 2D and 3D representations at a computed rate after receivingthe third type of input.
 9. The non-transitory machine readable mediumof claim 2, wherein the 3D presentation of the map is at a view thatfrom a location above the map is at a non-perpendicular angle towards alocation on the map.
 10. The non-transitory machine readable medium ofclaim 2, wherein the first and second types of input are received from atrackpad or a mouse of a device.
 11. The non-transitory machine readablemedium of claim 2, wherein the sets of instructions for displaying thefirst selectable control comprises instructions for: displaying thefirst selectable control in an emphasized manner when an indicator ispositioned over the first selectable control.
 12. A non-transitorymachine readable medium storing a mapping application which whenexecuted by at least one processing unit of a device provides agraphical user interface (GUI), the GUI comprising: a display area fordisplaying one of a two-dimensional (2D) presentation of a map or athree-dimensional (3D) presentation of the map at a given time; a firstselectable control for receiving (i) a first type of input to rotate aview of the map from a first orientation to a second orientation and(ii) a second type of input to rotate the view of the map to the firstorientation; and a second selectable control for receiving a third typeof input to transition between the 2D presentation and the 3Dpresentation; wherein the 2D presentation comprises a first perspectiveof a virtual camera pointing downwards towards the 2D map from anoverhead view and the 3D presentation comprises a second perspective ofa virtual camera pointing towards the 3D map at an angle greater than 0degrees and less than 90 degrees above the horizon.
 13. Thenon-transitory machine readable medium of claim 12, wherein the mappingapplication presents an animation on the map during a transition betweenthe 2D presentation and the 3D presentation.
 14. The non-transitorymachine readable medium of claim 12, wherein the mapping applicationpresents an animation on the map during a transition between the 3Dpresentation and the 2D presentation.
 15. The non-transitory machinereadable medium of claim 12, wherein the first type of input is a dragoperation.
 16. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 12,wherein the second type of input is a drag operation.
 17. Thenon-transitory machine readable medium of claim 12, wherein the view ofthe map rotates at a computed rate after receiving the first or secondtype of input.
 18. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim12, wherein the view of the map transitions between the 2D and 3Drepresentations at a computed rate after receiving the third type ofinput.
 19. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 12,wherein the 3D presentation of the map is at a view that from a locationabove the map is at a non-perpendicular angle towards a location on themap.
 20. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 12, whereinthe first and second types of input are received from a trackpad or amouse of a device.
 21. The non-transitory machine readable medium ofclaim 12, wherein the first selectable control is displayed in anemphasized manner when an indicator is positioned over the firstselectable control.